Stark County extends sewer system using American Rescue Plan funds
CANTON ‒ More than 500 houses with failing septic tanks are expected to join the county sewer system by the end of 2026.
Stark County Sanitary Engineer James Troike said construction at six of the county health department's top 10 areas that need to be connected to the sewer system will be finished in that time frame. The department has already completed projects in Limaville and Canton Township. Fifty houses were part of the Limaville project, and the two projects in Canton Township affected about 230 houses combined.
Up next are projects in North Lawrence area, Justus area and Meadow Grove in Lexington Township. Meadow Grove includes Nellabrook Avenue NE and its neighboring streets.
The North Lawrence and Meadow Grove projects will affect about 90 houses each, Troike said, while Justus will affect 50.
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Design work is being funded through the sanitary engineer's fund, while construction will be paid for using American Rescue Plan funds. The county has already spent some of its $72 million for water and sewer projects. The first project was an expansion of water lines in Lake Township in fall of 2021. That project cost about $500,000.
Stark County Administrator Brant Luther said in an email the county commissioners have indicated they would be willing to authorize up to $35 million in American Rescue Plan funds for sewer and water projects proposed by the sanitary engineer. Federal law requires Stark County to have all of these funds contractually committed by the end of 2024 or the money must be returned.
What is the Stark County Health Department's top 10?
The Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization released a report in 2016 detailing areas with above average failure rates for home sewage systems.
The report called for the county to extend sewers to these areas because high rates of failure can create health concerns and affect water quality. It used factors such as soil suitability, housing density and surface pollution potential to determine which areas to address first.
Limaville, Moreland and Lincoln Way North, also known as East Tuscarawas, ranked second, fourth and fifth, respectively. Justus was listed as sixth, North Lawrence was eighth and Nellabrook was ninth. The other areas were Harmon (first); Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois streets in Lexington Township (third); East Greenville (seventh); and Lynnette (10th).
Troike said the department has prioritized projects that had additional grant funding available.
"Limaville got an Army Corps of Engineers grant of $1 million so that became a priority," he said. "(Community Block Developmental Grant) money was available both for Moreland allotment and Lincoln Way North."
With the remaining projects, Troike said they are focused on projects that don't require adding a new pump station because it can be costly, and they want to be able to spread the funds to as many projects as possible.
Several projects are currently in the design phase, including Justus and Meadow Grove.
Amy Simmons, a Lexington Township resident, has lived on Nellabrook Avenue for 25 years. She said extending the county sewer system to the area will be positive for residents.
"I'm for it," she said.
Simmons said she hasn't experienced problems with her own septic system, but that it has to be emptied every three years and that can be expensive. Being part of the county system will be less of a hassle, she said.
Troike told the Stark County commissioners during a work session earlier this month that the department is already doing survey work in most of the top 10 areas. The sanitary engineer also said the department plans to use American Rescue Plan money to help with infrastructure and repair projects that will benefit different areas of the county.
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County to extend sewer system in Lexington Township, Justus
