PUBLIC INTEREST CENTER, (614) 644-2160
MEDIA CONTACT: Heidi Griesmer
CITIZEN CONTACT: Mary McCarron

Today, Ohio EPA announced two infrastructure projects aimed at improving the quality of drinking water in areas with deteriorating or no public water systems. The projects in Pike and Coshocton counties will receive a total of $1.5 million as part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative.

“Every citizen in Ohio should have clean water coming from their faucets,” said Governor DeWine. “Ensuring a clean drinking water supply for Ohioans is a main focus of my H2Ohio plan, and we’re proud to help communities with water projects that will provide quality water for their residents to drink.”

“Throughout the state, providing safe drinking water is a key goal of H2Ohio,” said Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson. “Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio plan enables Ohio EPA to extend its available funds to help more communities like these address their water needs.”

Pike Water Inc.

Pike Water Inc. will receive $1 million in H2Ohio funding for its project to construct a new drinking water line to provide water to more than 100 homes currently without public water.

The proposed project will involve constructing 60,000 feet of drinking water line to provide water to homes along Highland Pike that are currently without public water. Residents in this area are currently utilizing extremely low-yielding private water wells, cisterns, or ponds, all with poor water quality.

The total project is estimated to cost approximately $1.6 million. The H2Ohio funds will cover the bulk of this project. The balance of the project will be covered by no-interest loan funds from Ohio EPA’s state revolving loan fund.

Coshocton

Coshocton will receive $500,000 in H2Ohio funding for its project to construct a new drinking water line to connect West Lafayette to Coshocton’s water system.

The proposed project consists of a booster station and approximately 31,500 feet of drinking waterline to connect the village of West Lafayette to the city of Coshocton’s drinking water system. The project will replace the existing West Lafayette water treatment plant, which is currently threatened by ground water contamination, and install approximately 13,000 feet of additional waterlines in the village.

The total project is estimated to cost approximately $7.4 million. The H2Ohio funds will help support this project and make the project more affordable for the area. The project is also receiving grants from the Community Development Block Grant and Appalachian Regional Commission. In addition, the project has secured $3 million in principal forgiveness and the balance of the project will be covered by no-interest loan funds, both from Ohio EPA’s state revolving loan fund.

In Jan., Ohio EPA announced that New Waterford is also receiving $500,000 in H2Ohio funding toward its drinking water infrastructure project. Two wastewater projects were announced late in 2019; the Village of Pomeroy and Williams County are also receiving $500,000 in H2Ohio funding. For more information on the overall H2Ohio water quality plan, visit h2.ohio.gov.

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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.