CLEAR FORK VALLEY — Area residents are getting receiving information about a new wastewater treatment plant in their water bills.
The village is putting in place a rate increase to help fund operations at a new regional plant. The letter was sent to people in their December bill. It says a rate increase will go into effect in January, but fees won’t be collected until the April bill.
Information about the increased charges will be detailed on an individual basis.
Th increases have been discussed at several village council meetings.
The new regional wastewater treatment plant will be built between Butler and Bellville. The village of Butler will administer operations of the plant. A groundbreaking ceremony for the plant, on Mill Road is planned Dec. 4 at 9 a.m.
The village decided residents should get a notice about changes in fees because plans to build the plant are proceeding.
The new regional wastewater treatment plant will be the first of its kind in Ohio, according to officials.
Information about the water charges also are available on the village website.
The plant is designed to deliver treatment services, plus protect the Clear Fork River, one of only two rivers in Ohio that support trout habitat, according to Brian McCartney, of K.E. McCartney and Associates.
K.E. McCartney is the engineering firm working on the project.
“This is a very important project for the entire Clear Fork Valley ecosystem,” McCartney said previously.
The new plant will replace four treatment facilities that are currently polluting the Clear Fork River valley. This will make them “into one highly efficient and technologically advanced regional wastewater treatment plant,” McCartney said.
The new plant will replace the treatment facility in Bellville, which has had “long standing odor issues,” McCartney has said. It will also resolve Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) findings and orders filed against the Butler facility, he said.
People moving into the village have to coordinate efforts with officials before they can be served with sewer and water hookups. The water and sewer tap information included in this month’s bill says it costs $1,000 for a ¾-inch line, if the village makes the tap. This includes tap, curb box, curb stop and a mater.
If a contractor makes a tap for a ¾-inch line, it costs $600. In this case the village provides the meter only.
Charges vary, depending on the size of the line installed. It is $1,250 for a one-inch line, if the villages makes the tap. This includes a curb box, curb stop and meter.
It is $750 if a contractor makes the tap for a one-inch line.
Fees for taps of larger lines go up. The site says the fee will be $1,000 per inch diameter of the service line if the tapes are larger than one inch. All lines over four inches in diameter will be $6,000.
Engineering firms have been awarded contracts for the project. Underground Utilities has been awarded the contract to do the underground pipework. Mack Industries will do construction of the plant.
The plan is to have the plant operational by next December, according to officials. It will cost $13.5 million, with $6 million going for pipework and $7 million for the plant.
Also, a new development south of the village on State Route 13 South has the potential to add new residences. The 30-acre parcel of land was recently purchased from the Clear Fork Valley School District by Joe Shrock, of Shrock Custom Construction LLC, of Loudonville.
Plans for the site were given approval by the village planning commission at its most recent meeting.
The development is going to be called Urban Meadows. It sits adjacent to the existing Hamilton Hills area.
