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West Milton hears $28 million wastewater upgrade plan as consultants seek design funding
Summary
Consultants presented a general plan for a major wastewater treatment plant upgrade, estimating about $28 million for construction plus $3 million for design, and urged the village to pursue a WPCLF loan and to prepare an RFQ for a design engineer so the project can qualify for state funding and move to design.
Consultants from Wesler presented a preliminary engineering and general plan for upgrading West Milton’s wastewater treatment plant, telling council the system is hydraulically and materially over capacity and needs reconstruction to meet modern permit limits.
“The estimated cost of the project is uh $28 million,” said the Wesler presenter, noting the packet submitted to the Ohio EPA includes an executive summary, timeline and exhibits. He said the plant is regularly exceeding rated peak flow and many components date to the 1965 and 1992 upgrades, making parts obsolete and long-term reliability uncertain.
The consultant said the village submitted a preliminary engineering report to the Ohio EPA to place the project on the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) priority list. “The project scored 39 points, which is the maximum amount of points that you can score from a need-based perspective,” he said, but noted the project received only three of six readiness points, short of the level often required for principal forgiveness. He recommended securing design funding so the project can advance to construction readiness and be better positioned for forgivable funding.
Council members asked whether grants and loans can be combined; the presenter said multiple programs may be stacked and that the firm will work with the village’s rate consultant to model long-term affordability. He also advised issuing an RFQ to select the design engineer, noting design would take about a year and Ohio EPA permitting could push construction to 2028 with two to three years of build time.
The presenter summarized next steps: publish an RFQ for design services (draft available within roughly 30 days), secure design funds, complete permitting, and continue applications to WPCLF and other potential grant programs such as USDA where eligible. He said Wesler will assist with nominations and with coordinating support letters from elected officials and state partners.
Council did not take a vote at the workshop; staff and the consultant will refine RFQ language and return with a timeline and financing plan for a future meeting.
