County utilities director outlines steps and long-term planning needed to deliver water and sewer to villages

Tony Vogel, Fairfield County Utilities Director, told commissioners during a "Listen & Learn" segment that building a utility system begins with locating adequate water sources and designing a treatment facility, then extends to planning and installing distribution and collection lines and staffing operations such as water operators and billing.

"You have to plan daily while also thinking decades ahead," Vogel said, describing the sequence from aquifer identification to treatment, to line placement informed by topographic contour maps, and finally to wastewater treatment and ongoing operations.

Commissioner Jeff Fix said the public often underestimates the number of steps involved. Commissioner David Levacy noted Fairfield County’s ongoing growth and said county assistance to smaller communities, including recent work supporting Millersport, has been important.

Vogel emphasized that villages frequently lack the capital, staffing and engineering resources to design and construct treatment facilities and sewer systems on their own. In those cases, Fairfield County Utilities has provided assistance "when asked" to ensure communities receive safe drinking water and adequate wastewater service.

The presentation concluded without formal action; commissioners thanked Vogel and Deputy Utilities Director Josh Anders for their work in supporting local villages.