Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wastewater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utilities committee: wastewater treatment upgrades selected under NPDES, expected to raise sewer bills modestly
Summary
The Utilities Committee reviewed options to meet NPDES/NFA requirements and selected enhanced secondary treatment; a permit compliance deadline was extended to Nov. 30, 2026, and staff estimated the NFA-related work will raise the average residential sewer bill by about $2.50 per month.
The Conneaut Utilities Committee (minutes dated April 7, 2026) discussed stormwater ordinance drafting, industrial pretreatment language and the wastewater plant's required improvements to address wet‑weather discharges to Lake Erie under the NPDES permit. Consultant Verdantas' 2017 NFA study evaluated five alternatives; committee members discussed and ultimately supported the "enhanced secondary treatment" alternative as the most practical path to compliance.
Committee notes listed other alternatives and approximate costs considered during the NFA study: an additional equalization (EQ) basin (~$5.1 million) and a high‑rate treatment/bypass (~$8 million) among options that were rejected for site or cost reasons. The committee recorded that the permit imposes enforceable compliance obligations and that the NPDES permit modification approved a revised completion date of Nov. 30, 2026.
The committee also reviewed financial implications: a rate‑study shortfall left current charges insufficient to cover operations; staff estimated the NFA project would increase the average monthly residential sewer bill by approximately $2.50. Committee members discussed public communications to explain the project and possible future rate changes.
Additional infrastructure notes included SCADA implementation at the wastewater plant, replacement of aging clarifier equipment, replacement of roughly 300 water meters with automated reads (75 meters cost ~ $25,000), and approximately 15,000 cubic yards of dredge material expected to be removed from the channel by August/September using Army Corps funds. Committee members recommended preparing public information and fee schedules tied to stormwater permitting and possible tap‑in fees.
