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French Creek wastewater plant nears midpoint of $8.5M aeration upgrade; new sludge "Super Hut" reduces hauling costs
Summary
French Creek staff told the Finance Committee the $8.5 million complete-mix (CM) tank aeration project is progressing toward startup and that a new $1.2 million 'Super Hut' sludge-handling facility is reducing hauling costs and truck wear, with a permit renewal and further capital work planned.
French Creek wastewater plant leadership updated the Finance Committee on Nov. 5 on the status of major capital work and operations, saying the plant is advancing an $8.5 million complete-mix tank aeration upgrade and recently brought a new sludge-handling facility into full operation.
Superintendent Corey said crews are preparing for a major system startup and expected the next stage of the CM-tank aeration project to be online around Dec. 17, which will put that project roughly at the halfway point. "We're getting ready for a major startup of a new system on the 17th. That'll put that project at about 50% done," Corey said.
Corey also described a new enclosed sludge storage/loading facility—referred to as the "Super Hut"—that cost about $1.2 million and provides roughly 15 truckloads of usable storage and streamlined loading. He said the structure eliminated prior safety and efficiency problems with open storage and is already reducing sludge-hauling time and truck wear: "It has worked perfectly. We have no sludge backup issues anymore and it's saving us some money."
The plant is also preparing for an Ohio EPA permit renewal in 2027; Corey said the renewal may include tighter limits and renewed expectations for storage and bypass handling that will require coordination with the city engineer and additional planning.
Other near-term capital work includes new influent screens (project moving to bid) and a planned waterline improvement. Corey said the plant is working to mitigate rising complexity and maintenance costs as modern OEM equipment increasingly relies on integrated electronics and software.
Administrators noted the French Creek fund is supported by charges for service and tap-in fees and that the plant uses a rate-study framework to set fees and targets. The facility’s recent capital investments and loan financing were reflected in the debt-service and improvement fund summaries reviewed by the committee.
The committee did not vote on new French Creek items at the hearing, but members were briefed on the projects' status and upcoming financing steps.
