Public utilities director presents $22M-plus CIP highlights: drainage, waterlines, sewer tanks and a fourth water tower considered

Blake Jordan, public utilities director for the City of Dover, told the City Finance Committee on Aug. 19 that his 2026 capital program totals "roughly 22 or so million dollars worth of spending," and he highlighted a set of water, sewer and stormwater projects that the department expects to advance over the next several years.

Jordan said the US 23 drainage rehabilitation project has appeared in the CIP for several years and remains largely tied to Ohio Department of Transportation scheduling; the city—s share will be paid for work within municipal boundaries. He added there is an asterisk in the CIP because the project likely will shift to 2027 rather than 2026.

New in the CIP is a Bell Avenue stream restoration at the intersection of Bell Avenue and Liberty: Jordan said erosion north of Bell has advanced toward the roadway and is now threatening guardrail infrastructure. Design work is slated to occur in-house with construction expected in 2027, barring emergency acceleration.

Jordan noted the administration will continue pursuing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for a coordinated improvement effort in the Columbus/Montrose/Toledo area and said the city intends to increase internal contributions to strengthen future grant applications.

On water-fund maintenance, Jordan said the plant needs process floor coating work that was deferred during earlier value engineering and is now cracking; the department plans the coating in 2026 to protect concrete and underlying spaces. He described the city's waterline replacement policy as replacement after three total breaks on a line, rather than strictly by age, and said crews were already replacing the Wells Street line after additional breaks.

Capacity projects discussed include the South Industrial Loop, Bixby waterline installation, Merrick Boulevard extension and an elevated fourth water tower. Jordan said the EPA preference for providing a day's supply of water in storage is driving growth planning: the city's daily average flow is approaching 4,000,000 gallons, and an additional tower would push on‑hand storage above that threshold.

Wastewater items highlighted included primary settling tank repairs at the treatment plant; Jordan said the plant's four tanks were installed in 2007 and the chains and scraping mechanisms are reaching end of life. The department plans to replace two tanks per year to spread cost and limit operational disruptions, and contractors have been consulted. He said some complex tasks were not feasible in-house without taking crews offline for extended periods.

Jordan also discussed cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining for spot repairs and replacement work for small lift stations such as David Street, and larger upgrades at the Stratford Road lift station, which serves a wide area including recent development, retail and residential neighborhoods.

The director said the Northeast Olentangy interceptor remains in feasibility and design study phases; final design and method (open cut, boring or tunneling) will determine the timeline and cost. Several projects listed in the CIP are intentionally staged to obtain better contractor pricing by bundling work into larger contracts.

Ending: Jordan invited committee questions; members thanked him and the committee agreed to include the presented items in the 2026 CIP process for further review during the budget cycle.