Wapakoneta receives state funds to expand wastewater facilities

Oct. 16—WAPAKONETA — Ohio is providing funding to ensure municipal wastewater facilities remain safe and healthy. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has disbursed loans in Northwest Ohio of up to $107 million. The City of Wapakoneta will receive $82.7 million to expand its treatment plant system.

The hope of each loan is to improve the overall water quality in the state of Ohio.

Governor Mike DeWine weighed in.

"With this support, more communities all over the state will make important system upgrades," said DeWine. "This will ensure that drinking water is clean and that water infrastructure is dependable."

Brent Hamel oversees the water treatment department in Wapakoneta.

"The EPA loan that we are using is for the expansion of the water treatment plant," said Hamel. "The expansion will raise our overall capacity and will improve the water quality dramatically by removal of solids. It will include a completely new softening process."

The loan program in Ohio was created in 1989 to help areas improve their systems. This will be the first loan Wapakoneta has received.

"The entire community will feel the impact of the expansion," added Hamel. "There will be benefits in water quality through-flow capacity and different things like that."

The department plans to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows to less than four per year and increase treatment capacity. These improvements will reduce sewage running into the river.

In addition to the City of Wapakoneta, Putnam County and St. Mary's will receive loans to improve its system. Putnam County has received $150,000 from the project. St. Marys will receive $7.8 million to expand its wastewater treatment plant.

Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.