The Board of Sanitary Commissioners on June 25 approved two task orders with American StructurePoint totaling $2,500,000 to design separation projects for Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) areas known as CSO 7 and CSO 23.

District Administrator Rick Conrad told the board the task orders are part of the sanitary district’s long‑term control plan and called the work an unfunded state mandate. "These projects ... are related to long term control plan and this is the unfunded mandate from the state that's requiring us to address our combined sewer overflows," Conrad said. Task Order No. 1 for CSO 7 carries a $1,500,000 lump‑sum fee for design and engineering; Task Order No. 2 for CSO 23 carries a $1,000,000 fee for design and engineering.

Commissioners said the design work will precede construction and is intended to reduce stress on the treatment plant by separating storm sewer flows from sanitary lines. Commissioner Overton summarized the regulatory driver for the work, saying the problem is that "the sewage and the street runoff go together and sometimes they go into the river. And so, this is the EPA is telling us we have to fix this..." The board identified CSO 7 as the Wheeling and River Road area and CSO 23 as an area draining to Buck Creek near Hoyt Avenue and Seventeenth Street.

The task orders were added to an existing professional services agreement with American StructurePoint; the board approved the additions by voice vote. The contracts cover design and engineering only; construction and related restorations (including road restoration where required) will be separate actions and funded later. Officials said the projects are required by state and federal regulators as part of the long‑term control plan to eliminate combined sewer overflows.

Board action: voice votes were taken to approve Task Order No. 1 for CSO 7 and Task Order No. 2 for CSO 23; no opposition was recorded during the roll of "aye."