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Steubenville council approves Phase II water filtration upgrade, estimates ~$22.4M
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-69 to advertise and bid the Phase II water filtration plant upgrade, a project staff estimates at roughly $22.4 million including engineering; the upgrade includes a new filter, a fourth pulsator and a SCADA replacement and will be financed by loan, officials said.
Council members voted to authorize advertising for bids and contract execution for the Phase II upgrade of the Steubenville water filtration plant, a major capital project Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins said is needed to modernize the system and satisfy Ohio EPA scheduling requirements.
“We actually made it out of our representative’s office once and made it to DC…This will be a loan amount,” Jenkins told council as he outlined funding history and the decision to proceed using loan financing rather than awaiting uncertain congressional grants. Jenkins described the scope as adding a fourth pulsator, a fifth filter and an updated SCADA control system, and said the engineer’s construction estimate is about $20.4 million and the total cost including engineering is “roughly $22.4 million.”
Jenkins said the ordinance was made an emergency to keep the project on the Ohio EPA timeline and that the engineers intentionally estimate higher than expected bid prices. He told council the most recent rate-analysis includes the new debt and shows the water system will remain “healthy into the future,” allowing the city to finance the plant and continue planned line-replacement work. “We’ll be able to do a million dollars a year of line replacements for the foreseeable future, given the current rate,” Jenkins said.
Council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-69 by roll call; the ordinance authorizes advertising for bids, contracting with the lowest qualified bidder, and declares an emergency to meet regulatory timing. Mayor Barilla declared the ordinance duly adopted during the meeting. Council and staff said final project cost will be known after bids are returned and that engineering estimates are intended to be conservative.
Next steps: staff will proceed with bidding and return to council with bid results and contract recommendations; financing details will be finalized as bids are received and loan terms are secured.
