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STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County Sewer District is asking Ohio EPA to extend compliance deadlines on three of its "package" wastewater treatment plants, describing it as "essential to maintaining the (district's) long-term financial and operational stability."
Currently, the district faces a 2028 deadline to replace the Maplewood plant; a 2029 deadline for Mellwood and a 2030 deadline for Century Hills. All three were built by developers for homebuyers in their subdivisions that were nearing the end of their useful life when the county was asked to take them on.
"Ohio EPA has indicated a willingness to consider extending these deadlines," Director Jonathan Sgalla said. "After reviewing the district's current financial position, infrastructure needs, anticipated project costs and the practical requirements associated with planning, funding, designing, bidding and constructing three wastewater projects."
Sgalla said they're requesting the deadline be extended through 2034 for Maplewood, through 2036 for Mellwood and through 2030 for Century Hills -- a compliance schedule he said "provides the district with a responsible path forward."
"It maintains our commitment to environmental compliance while giving (us) sufficient time to properly plan and finance each project and minimize the financial burden placed on our customers," Sgalla said, adding that the proposed extensions "wouldn't eliminate or avoid any of the district's obligations to comply."
"All three projects remain necessary and the district remains committed to bringing these facilities into compliance," he said. "The purpose is to establish a realistic and financially responsible schedule under which the district can successfully complete all three projects."
Sgalla and Arcadis' Andrew Dawson, the county's engineering consultant, said the existing schedule would require them to complete the costly projects in three consecutive years, "(but) given the magnitude of these projects, attempting to finance, design, and construct them within such a compressed period would place considerable financial and operational pressure on the district."
"Jonathan has been doing a really great job of discussing it with your (state regulators), trying to get them to understand the situation here, how you inherited these package plants from developers who let them go into disrepair, how the systems are so small and even if we collected every single penny of our revenue since we took (them) over we still would not be able to afford to pay it," Dawson said. "We now have an opportunity to submit a revised schedule (proposal) with new deadline dates."
Sgalla said the extension doesn't mean they can put off planning, preliminary engineering, design, funding applications and other necessary activities for Mellwood and Century Hills, saying those things "would occur throughout the compliance period so that the district can demonstrate continuous progress toward completion of all three facilities."
"The district has significant responsibilities beyond these three wastewater treatment plants," he added. "We must continue operating and maintaining our existing water and wastewater systems while addressing aging infrastructure and other required capital improvements. A realistic (compliance schedule) is therefore essential to maintaining the long-term financial and operational stability of the utility."
Commissioner Tony Morelli pointed out the debt service will be almost half a million dollars a year, "but the total number of (sewage extensions) we'll probably be servicing is around 150."
Dawson, meanwhile, said OEPA will be keeping close tabs on the district's progress.
"They are not going to just sit back and not check in," he said. "They are going to check in often and make sure we are showing progress. If we are unable to show progress on a second extension request they will...stop bonding us, they made that very clear."