COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus, Plain City, and the Appalachia Ohio Alliance will receive low-interest funding from Ohio EPA to improve drinking water and sewage treatment.
The loans were approved in the first quarter of this year according to an Ohio EPA press release, and the money will go to:
- Columbus is receiving approximately $280.6 million for four projects that include constructing improvements to the sanitary sewer system in the area bounded generally by Brimfield Road, Beechcroft Road, Tamarack Blvd., and Forest Village Lane; rehabilitating sanitary sewers south of downtown Columbus and north of State Route 104; removing underground storage tanks to eliminate the risk of ground water contamination to the well field for the Parsons Avenue water treatment plant; and constructing a 17,000 linear foot tunnel to provide overflow relief to sewers from north of The Ohio State University campus to the Arena District.
- Plain City is receiving $295,000 to design improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, which will include constructing a new oxidation ditch, UV disinfection improvements, and a final clarifier.
- Appalachia Ohio Alliance is receiving $4.9 million from the Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) for two projects. The first will protect 315 acres along the Scioto River, including the 54-acre Fleming Island. The second will protect 5,500 feet of Big Darby Creek, 8,000 feet of tributaries, and a half a mile of the Scioto River.
- Health Departments, Districts, and County Commissions in the following counties are receiving $150,000 in principal forgiveness loans for the repair and replacement of household sewage treatment systems: Fayette, Licking, and Union counties.