Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Anne M. Vogel today announced $2.8 million in H2Ohio grants for ten projects that will improve water quality in Ohio.

Mentor Marsh:
H2Ohio will provide $500,000 to support the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Mentor Marsh Coastal Restoration Project. The grant will be used to monitor and remove invasive species and grow native plants that will improve the overall health and quality of the wetland.

“The restoration of Mentor Marsh aligns perfectly with our water quality initiatives through H2Ohio,” said Governor DeWine. “Wetlands remove nutrients and other contaminants from the water and lessen the severity of algal blooms, so by continuing to restore this property, we’re contributing to a cleaner Lake Erie.”

This grant builds on Governor DeWine’s commitment to restoring the marsh, which was destroyed by salt pollution several decades ago. In 2013, while serving as Ohio’s attorney general, Governor DeWine filed a lawsuit against the entity responsible for the damage. As a result, the 801-acre wetland has largely been remediated and can even serve as a healthy nursery for fish species such as northern pike, fry, and yellow perch fingerlings.

FOR TELEVISION: VoSot available with Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel and Cleveland Museum of Natural History restoration ecologist, Dr. David Kriska.

Water Infrastructure:

H2Ohio will provide approximately $2.1 million to four communities in need of the repair and replacement of aging water infrastructure

• Donnelsville (Clark County), $750,000: H2Ohio funding will cover the planning and engineering design of a drinking water distribution system for the village of Donnelsville. The village is currently served by individual wells which may be contaminated. Drinking water will be provided by a nearby public water system. This project will help provide a more reliable water source to approximately 100 homes.
• Magnetic Springs (Union County), $400,000: H2Ohio funding will help Magnetic Springs cover the planning and engineering design of a wastewater collection system for the village, which currently does not have sanitary sewers. This project will benefit approximately 110 homes.
• Ravenna (Portage County), $488,230: H2Ohio funding will help eliminate failing household sewage treatment systems in the Foxwood Estates subdivision to connect 10 homes to Ravenna’s sewer system.
• Summit County, $500,000: H2Ohio funding will help in the planning and engineering design of wastewater and drinking water improvements for the village of Peninsula. The village currently does not have sanitary sewers or public drinking water.

Home Sewage Treatment Systems:

H2Ohio funding also will provide a total of $263,000 to health districts in Licking, Lorain, Portage, Stark, and Wayne Counties for the repair or replacement of failing home sewage treatment systems.
“Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio plan makes a difference in these communities and in the lives of Ohioans,” said Ohio EPA Director Anne M. Vogel. “We are using H2Ohio funding to help address challenging infrastructure projects and make them more affordable to Ohio communities.”

Governor DeWine launched H2Ohio in 2019 as to improve water quality effort across Ohio. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Ohio Lake Erie Commission each have a significant role in H2Ohio through the creation of wetlands, reduction of nutrient runoff to waterways, and increased access to clean drinking water and quality sewer systems. To learn more, go to h2.ohio.gov.

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