WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pike County received new resources to update water infrastructure and improve service. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded a grant to the Village of Waverly to make improvements to the existing wastewater treatment plant.  The project will improve service for more than 130 households, providing safe and reliable sanitary sewer services while saving the community money on wastewater treatment services.

“Ohio’s rural communities and small towns face a heavy burden when financing infrastructure projects,” Brown said. “This improvement project will provide residents and businesses with a modern water system that improves water quality and encourages investment in the Village of Waverly.”

The purpose of the Hospital Hill Sanitary Sewer Project is to reduce the inflow and infiltration of rain water into the Pike County Sewer District System. This project will replace or repair all main sewer lines, laterals, and manholes throughout the Hospital Hill area.  The project will add 0.1 million gallons per day (MGD) to the wastewater treatment plant system capacity and 0.52 MGD to the sewer infrastructure capacity.

The project will result in considerable cost savings to the Pike County Sewer District by eliminating the infiltration of rain water. The Pike County Sewer District pays the Village of Waverly for wastewater treatment because the District does not own a wastewater treatment plant. The project will reduce costs associated with treating rain water, and will enable the Pike County Sewer District to maintain affordable sewer rates. The project will also reduce the burden on the Village of Waverly's wastewater treatment plant to treat large volumes of rain water. The Hospital Hill Sanitary Sewer project will be a collaborative effort between the Village of Waverly, the Pike County Commissioners, and the Ohio EPA.

In addition to ARC funds, state sources will provide $300,000, and local sources will provide $164,245, bringing the total project funding to $714,245

Brown is working to help communities around Ohio struggling to afford costly but necessary renovations to sewer systems. Last year, he introduced the Clean Water Affordability Act to help communities make renovations to outdated sewer systems, while improving water quality and keeping rates affordable for residents and small business.

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