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Sanitary staff and consultant flag technical limits on expanding Westfield plant; commissioners ask for Hazen & Sawyer feasibility analysis
Summary
Medina County sanitary staff reported Ohio EPA concerns that increasing Westfield wastewater discharge capacity would be difficult given stream flow ratios; commissioners directed Hazen & Sawyer to complete a feasibility analysis comparing Westfield upgrades and the Chippewa plan before further negotiations with the Village of Westfield.
County sanitary staff and consultants told the Board of Commissioners that Ohio EPA cautioned the county that the receiving stream—s flow relative to Westfield wastewater discharge limits would make increasing Westfield—s permitted capacity difficult without significant upgrades.
Sanitary staff summarized Hazen & Sawyer—s assessment: Westfield—s existing plant was designed at about 600,000 gallons per day (gpd); Hazen & Sawyer said an upgrade to roughly 2,000,000 gpd would be needed to provide meaningful capacity relief and legally meet Ohio EPA—s concentration‑based limits in the receiving stream. By contrast, the proposed Chippewa plant design was presented at 1,000,000 gpd, expandable in the future.
The Village of Westfield informed county staff it was unwilling to transfer the plant at a $0 price and that ownership transfer would require negotiation and likely payment to account for perceived value and liabilities. Commissioners discussed sequencing: whether to do a preliminary cost/feasibility analysis before meeting Westfield officials or to invite Westfield to a special meeting; several commissioners favored commissioning the Hazen analysis first to understand upgrade costs, guaranteed‑maximum‑price timelines and construction manager‑at‑risk terms.
Commissioners instructed sanitary staff to continue working with Hazen & Sawyer; the consultant had begun reviewing Westfield construction plans and staff expected a deliverable in the coming weeks to mid‑January. Commissioners emphasized they needed a thorough analysis of upgrade costs, capacity constraints, and revenue/financing options before pursuing asset transfers or large capital commitments.
