CLEAR FORK VALLEY — The new regional wastewater treatment plant, which will serve Butler and Bellville, will have a ground-breaking ceremony Dec. 4 at the plant site.
The ceremony, which will start at 9 a.m., will be at 1667 Mill Road, off State Route 97 east.
Butler mayor Joe Stallard will be speaking on behalf of that village. Mayor Teri Brenkus of Bellville has also been invited.
Some of the agenda items still must be completed, said Brian McCartney, of K. E. McCartney and Associates, Inc.
McCartney’s firm is working on the project.
Jotika Shetty, executive director of the Richland County Regional Planning Commission will speak, said McCartney.
Funding agencies, including Ohio EPA, Ohio Public Works Commission and the Community Development Block Grant, have been asked if they would like to participate, McCartney said.
Contracts have been awarded to two firms, according to officials in Butler and Bellville.
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 facility fully operational by next December, according to area officials.
The project is to cost $13.5 million dollars. $6.098 million would go for pipework and $7.260 million for the plant.
Information about the project has been published on the village of Butler website and on Facebook.
There was a pre-construction meeting of groups involved in November.
Many details of the project, which will build a regional treatment plant, were still being finalized recently.
The Clear Fork Valley School District has been participating in plans to allow them to hook in to the line, serving the facility. The plant is to be located in the area between the villages, near the Clear Fork Mobile Home Park.
Photos of early diagrams for the plant were published on Facebook. They include a rendering of how the plant would look.
Numerous details were accomplished earlier on so that the project could proceed. A permit to install (PTI) was issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. It also allowed the removal of the existing Butler and Bellville plans from service.
A grant request in the amount of $500,000 through the Ohio Public Works Commission was approved, plus $750,000 through the Community Development Block grant program and $400,000 through the Ohio EPA.
The other funds for the project will come through a 40-year, no-interest loan with the Ohio EPA.
The new permit from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) has been obtained. Submittals for the construction of the sewers and wastewater treatment plant have been so reviewed so contractors can order necessary supplies.
