Friday, November 26, 1999
Warren picks Franklin for sewer link
Hunter area to get service from deal
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — After months of debate and an agreement by Middletown to reduce costs, Warren County Commissioners have decided it's a better deal to link with Franklin for a sewer project for the Hunter area instead of Middletown.
“It was still cheaper to go to Franklin,” said Warren County Sanitary Engineer Richard Renneker. “Plus, that lets commissioners have a voice in future rate increases,” because the county is one of the four owners of Franklin Regional Wastewater Treatment Corp. The other owners are Franklin, Carlisle and Germantown.
“Commissioners felt there was more benefits to going that way,” Mr. Renneker said. “The main thing is it makes sewer service available to a much larger area — including a section north of Hunter.”
The $8 million project will provide service to nearly 800 homes in Hunter, a neighborhood east of Middletown. The link with the Franklin Regional Wastewater Treatment Corp. will also allowsewers to go into an area north of Hunter where there are about 250 homes and some large tracts to be developed. Middletown could not serve both areas because of limitations on existing sewers, Mr. Ren neker said.
County commissioners made their decision this week after reviewing the latest proposals from Middletown, Mr. Renneker said. The decision will have no effect on Middletown's plans for a $1.1 million Dick's Creek Trunk Sewer Extension, to extend sanitary sewers from Lefferson Road across I-75 and up to Ohio 122 and Union Road, said Middletown Engineer Andy Braun. The Hunter project is just east of where Middletown's ends, and Warren County would have tapped into Middletown's extended sewers.
Middletown will open bids on that project Dec. 7, and the work should get under way early next year, Mr. Braun said.
Middletown was happy to work with Warren County on the project, and lowered the proposed tap-in fee from $1,500 to $500 per property, and the treatment charges from $2.48 to $1.80 per 1,000 gallons, Mr. Braun said. But the city will not be losing any significant revenue by the extension going to Franklin, since up-front fees would have been used for necessary upgrades to Middletown's system, and treatment costs are a break-even deal. Franklin's fees are $500 per tap, and $1.40 per 1,000 gallons.
Mr. Renneker said the first public hearing on the Hunter project will be in January. Preliminary engineering work is under way, and the sewer work should begin in late summer or early fall 2000. Funding will come from a $1 million Ohio Public Works Commission Grant, assessments, and county coffers, he said.
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Warren picks Franklin for sewer link
