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Clermont County utilities outline multi‑million‑dollar gaps in 5‑year water and wastewater plans
Summary
Utilities director Joel Gross told commissioners the county’s five‑year water CIP lists 62 projects totaling $119.8 million with an $18.3 million shortfall; the wastewater CIP lists 53 projects totaling about $247 million and is roughly $64.9 million underfunded, prompting master plans and grant pursuit.
Joel Gross, director of utilities for Clermont County, gave a detailed presentation June 3 on the county’s 2026–2030 capital improvement plans for water and wastewater systems, saying the county faces significant funding shortfalls as it prioritizes aging infrastructure.
“We have a total of 62 projects totaling $119.8 million” for the waterworks five‑year plan, Gross said, and the program is about $18.3 million underfunded at current revenue assumptions. He listed ongoing water main replacement projects and tank work, noting many mains date to the 1950s and require priority attention. Gross said the county has secured some grant funding (for example, OPWC awards) and has begun a water master‑plan update with Arcadis to refine long‑term needs and stakeholder input.
The wastewater program is larger and costlier, Gross said. “Under this plan, we have 53 projects totaling $246,960,497 in the next five years,” he said, and the wastewater portion is about $64.9 million short. Major items include a 1.5‑million‑gallon flow equalization tank at Bethl (bid amount $7,488,750), upgrades at the Middle East Fork wastewater treatment plant and planned expansions to increase dry‑weather treatment capacity from 7.2 million gallons to higher rated capacities in future phases. Gross said some projects are already under construction and others are in design with construction windows stretching into the late 2020s and early 2030s.
Gross described how the county prioritizes projects: system age, frequency of main breaks and capacity requirements. He summarized near‑term water projects (Old State Route 32, Old 74, White Oak Phase 2) and several sewer replacement and lift‑station upgrades. He also outlined funding: available funding totals of approximately $48 million on the water side and about $54.6 million for wastewater, with the largest individual projects comprising a majority of the plan costs.
The director emphasized the master‑planning efforts underway — a 12‑month water master plan and an 18‑month wastewater master plan — and urged stakeholder engagement from townships, villages and development interests. He said the master plans will refine project lists, inform grant and loan applications, and could materially change next year’s CIP priorities.
What comes next: commissioners did not vote on new project authorizations during the presentation, but later adopted a resolution that formally approves revised general plans for the waterworks and wastewater systems as part of the county’s design and grant‑application process. Gross and commissioners noted the county will pursue additional grants, loans and rates adjustments to close funding gaps.
The county’s CIP presentation provides detailed project lists, costs and schedules intended to guide decision making and grant strategies over the coming years.
