Public meeting set for March 13 on Newtonsville wastewater project

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BATAVIA, Ohio (March 2, 2018) — A public information meeting on the proposed Newtonsville wastewater system and treatment plant will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, at CNE High School, 5327 Hutchinson Rd, Batavia.  Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Newtonsville property owners are invited to attend and participate.

The Clermont County Water Resources Department and Clermont County Public Health will present information and answer questions regarding the need for a wastewater system and treatment plant. County Commissioners will listen to comments from property owners both for and against the project.

Currently, properties in the Village of Newtonsville have septic systems. The project will serve 145 property owners and 230 parcels of land in and around the village. In October 2012, residents were notified by Clermont Public Health that a significant number of homes had failing septic systems, and sewage created a health risk. At that time, Public Health said that a centralized sewer system and wastewater treatment plant were needed.

Since then, the Clermont County Water Resources Department  has completed extensive engineering fieldwork and project design. A number of public information meetings have been held, as well as a public hearing. Letters have been sent to property owners to gather their input on alternative plans. The design of the system and wastewater plant, which is proposed to be built on vacant land behind the village administration building, has been completed. The treatment plant is designed to treat up to 57,000 gallons a day.

The total cost of the Newtonsville Collection System Assessment Project and the Newtonsville Wastewater Treatment Plant Project is estimated to be nearly $8.2 million. Grants will defray a portion of the cost. The project has been awarded a $2 million grant from USDA Rural Development, and a $1 million grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission. The county will contribute $1.1 million from wastewater capital improvement funds. Property owners will be assessed for the balance, with a 40-year loan at an interest rate of 2.25%. The estimated assessment is $189.93 per frontage foot of property over the 40 years, said WRD Director Lyle Bloom.

More about the project can be found here.

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