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Silver Lake council reviews OHM study on switching water supplier; infrastructure and testing cited as key issues
Summary
Council examined an OHM water-supply study that evaluates alternatives to Silver Lake's current contract with Cuyahoga Falls, including connecting to Akron via Stow and Hudson. Consultants and council members discussed pipe sizes, pressure-reducing valves, testing for "forever chemicals," contract timing and infrastructure age.
Silver Lake council members spent the bulk of their June 1 meeting reviewing a water-supply study presented by OHM consultant Tony Burgoyne, who outlined options for moving the village's primary supply away from Cuyahoga Falls and toward Akron services carried through Stow and Hudson.
Burgoyne told the council Stow's water tower was recently replaced and that many assets on Stow's southwest side are new; he said the study's main point is that "the majority of Village assets are very dated," and that some portions of Silver Lake's mains date from 1930—60. Council members pressed on capacity, redundancy and infrastructure work that would be required.
Council member Phil Kaplan asked whether a switch would remove Cuyahoga Falls from consideration. Mayor Dunphy said the proposed plan would exclude Cuyahoga Falls as a supplier, and Burgoyne emphasized those alternatives differ mainly on whether the village would keep or decommission its water tower (labeled alternatives A and B in the study).
Consultants and councilors discussed technical steps a change would entail: installing pressure-reducing valves in underground vaults near the connection points; replacing a portion of the line on Graham Road that currently feeds the tower; and the limits posed by six-inch-diameter mains in some neighborhoods, which may be too small to rehabilitate.
On testing and public-health safeguards, Burgoyne said additional water testing would be required if Silver Lake switched suppliers and that ongoing monitoring for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (so-called forever chemicals) will be necessary regardless of supplier. Mrs. Rubright and Burgoyne added that estimates for future rates are uncertain; council member Jim Kurtz asked what contractual assurances could be obtained to limit future rate jumps. Mayor Dunphy said the village would seek a long-term contract with Akron but could not guarantee rate trajectories.
Council members also noted timing: the village's contract with Cuyahoga Falls expires May 31, 2028, and the mayor said discussions are underway now to plan for funding and necessary steps should the village decide to change suppliers.
The council did not take a vote on a supplier change at the meeting; members directed continued review and follow-up discussions with Akron and Stow representatives.
The study and council's questions suggest the decision will hinge on funding availability, detailed engineering work to upgrade or replace aging mains, and negotiations over contract terms with potential suppliers.
