Geneva to install new Lawn Street water main under OPWC project after repeated breaks
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Summary
City staff reported a winter spike in main breaks and outlined an OPWC-funded project to install a new water line on Lawn Street, described sampling reductions agreed with Aqua and a hiring need in the water department.
Josh, a City of Geneva water department employee, told the council the department recorded a surge of pipe failures this winter and that Lawn Street has averaged “2 to 5 main breaks a year” recently. He said the city secured an Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) waterline project to replace the south-side water main on Lawn Street.
The project, Josh said, would include a sidewalk on the south side, a new 2-inch line (described in the meeting as a "2 inch bridal and fill"), resurfacing with asphalt and other work intended to improve water quality and address aging infrastructure. He told the council the project is covered in part by OPWC grant funds; the local match was described as “about half” of the project cost and the grant portion “about $300,000.” The meeting transcript included an estimated total cost read aloud as roughly $690,898 and the local match described as about half of that amount.
Why it matters: Lawn Street’s repeated breaks have created recurring service interruptions and repairs. A funded replacement through OPWC would reduce the need for frequent repairs and should improve system reliability, officials said.
City water staff also reported a reduced monitoring schedule with Aqua, the supplier the city uses for certain tests and water delivery. According to Josh, because of improved water quality from Aqua and proper system maintenance, the city has moved from quarterly EPA-mandated sampling at two dead-end flushing locations to a reduced schedule that requires sampling once (in the third quarter) for that particular EPA quarterly sample; routine daily and monthly samples and chlorine verification remain in place. Josh described the EPA-mandated sampling process: staff open hydrants for 15 minutes at two spots (North Avenue and Beach Street), collect samples and send them to Aqua for analysis.
On staffing, Josh said the water department is actively recruiting, asking council members and the public to "tell your friends, tell a neighbor we are hiring." He described the entry-level pay for a water laborer roughly in the range he read aloud (about $16.28 up to the high teens) and said no prior experience is required beyond a clean driving record and a willingness to work.
Quotes from the meeting included Josh’s description of system failures: “I'll say this winter, we had 15 main breaks throughout the system,” and his hiring appeal: “tell your friends, tell a neighbor we are hiring.” City Manager Marquette, in the city manager’s report that followed, connected the Lawn Street work to the OPWC program and to the ballot measure under discussion.
Clarifying details spoken at the meeting: the OPWC-funded Lawn Street project was read with an estimated total cost near $690,898, with a local match described as about half and a grant portion “about $300,000.” The reduced EPA sampling schedule still requires the city to conduct daily system checks and monthly sampling at businesses and continue the chlorine verification program.
Ending: Council did not take final action on rate ordinances during this meeting; the Lawn Street project was discussed as part of staff updates and the OPWC funding program that the city uses for multiple infrastructure projects.
