Clermont County awards $2.08 million contract to replace failing septic-style systems in Pierce Township subdivision

The Clermont County Board of Commissioners on May 14 awarded a contract to Unger Construction of West Union for the Legendary Veil sanitary sewer collection system project in Pierce Township, not to exceed $2,082,499, and approved a professional-services contract for construction administration with Ohio Valley Environmental Engineering for up to $119,000.

County staff said the subdivision’s existing individual drip-irrigation systems — effectively county-operated septic systems — have reached the end of their useful life and that repeated failures and alarms have required frequent staff responses. Replacing each failing system individually would be costly, staff said; the county will install a low-pressure force main with individual grinder pumps at each property to convey wastewater to a conventional public sewer.

A county representative explained that some homes in the subdivision would have required replacements costing “probably $80,000 to $100,000 each” and that the system-wide approach is more cost-effective. Staff said they expect continued alarm responses until construction begins, and that engineering services will include pre-construction meetings with homeowners, review of shop drawings and submittals, and coordination with the contractor before property work begins.

Both contracts passed unanimously among the two commissioners present. Staff listed a 180-consecutive-calendar-day completion window for the construction-administration services after notice to proceed.

Ending: The county will proceed with contractor mobilization and construction administration; residents in the subdivision and county utility customers will receive project-specific notices about scheduling and on-site work.