City of Coshocton pursuing $11 million upgrade to its wastewater treatment plant
COSHOCTON − The City of Coshocton is pursuing upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant with approval from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The city will submit revised cost estimates to the Ohio EPA for digester improvement projects at the Coshocton Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project is estimated at $11.125 million.
The plant has two primary digesters and one secondary digester, which treat wastewater solids, that were last upgraded 30 years ago. They haven't been cleaned since that time and accumulated debris has reduced working volume, according to Utilities Director Dave Kadri. He also said the covers have been repaired numerous times over the years and need replacement. Improvements will allow equipment to keep up with demand for the next 20 years, Kadri added.
The project will involve new floating gas holder covers, mixing, heat exchangers, sludge piping, gas piping and waste gas burner. Digesters will be cleaned during the cover replacement to remove debris and return them to original working volume.
There will also be dewatering, or drying, upgrades. The existing belt filter press will be replaced with a rotary fan press. Kadri said it will produce solids as dry or drier than the current press. It also requires less operator oversight, so the city doesn't have to contract out operation of the press.
The existing sludge storage pad will be expanded to allow for increased storage of dewatered biosolids too.
In other council news:
● Council had first reading of an ordinance to replace the roof on Coshocton City Hall. Safety Service Director Max Crown hopes bids will come in under $100,000.
● First reading was given to an ordinance for transferring 1.45 acres of land on County Road 1A to Coshocton County commissioners to be incorporated into Skip's Landing Park and the McWane River Walk.
●- Council approved a resolution supporting the Ohio Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial, America250-OH. The governor's office and state legislature formed the organization in 2018 to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the country's 250th anniversary. Mayor Mark Mills said the resolution will allow the city to possibly acquire state funding for related activities and events. A celebration committee will probably run through the Coshocton Visitors Bureau.
● Council discussed pursuing greater enforcement of property code legislation passed in 2018. Mills said along with punishment, they should pursue ways in persuading or helping property owners to either sell or revitalize vacant buildings.
Coshocton City Council will next meet in regular session at 6:30 p.m. March 11 at city hall. The committees meeting is prior at 5:45 p.m. The first regular meeting for April has been moved to April 1 from April 8 for people to view the total solar eclipse if they wish.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Coshocton pursuing $11 million upgrade to wastewater treatment plant
