Money helps Monroeville install new waterline

COLUMBUS — A pair of local communities will receive money through the third and final round of grants awarded through the new Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure grant program. Monroeville will receive a $333,439 grant to install 3,700 lineal feet of waterline, complete with new hydrants, valves, service lines and meter pits and general restoration. The project will replace water lines with a history of breakage. This project will benefit 84 people. Milan will receive a $38,983 grant to replace a current water line that has been prone to slipping down a hillside and is made out of substandard piping. This line has also been prone to water leaks. This project will replace this water main with a polyvinyl line and shore up the hillside. This project will benefit 22 homes. In all, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced more than $109 million will be awarded to help fund critical water projects in all of Ohio's counties through program. Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) focuses on supporting projects to improve quality of life like water infrastructure, broadband expansion, brownfield redevelopment and demolition of blighted buildings. "Clean drinking water is part of the foundation for a good quality of life, yet too many communities in Ohio can't reliably provide residents with this basic necessity due to crumbling infrastructure has been too expensive to fix," DeWine said. "My administration is committed to helping our communities address these important water issues, and we look forward to additional conversations with the Ohio General Assembly about the potential of expanding this program with additional funds." Monroeville Mayor Melissa Fries-Seip said the money will be well spent. "The entire administration of the village of Monroeville works very hard to provide for the needs of its residents and businesses while maintaining fiscal responsibility," she said. "Receiving word that our village's water project would be receiving money as an Ohio BUILDS Water Infrastructure Grant Project enables us to continue projects that will improve the lives of those in our village. We are both pleased and grateful to be a beneficiary of this grant program. "The specific village project that was submitted was a 'shovel ready' endeavor to install 3,700 lineal feet of an 8-inch waterline, complete with new hydrants, valves, service lines and meter pits, along with general restoration of aged waterlines that have had a history of breakage. This project addressed a high risk for a potential critical infrastructure failure. "Our project was scheduled to begin construction October of 2021. R.A. Bores, Monroeville, has since completed the project on time and on budget. Complete site restoration and cross street paving will be performed in the spring of 2022. We will be using the funds from the State of Ohio — ARPA Grant to reduce the loan principal amount which, in turn, will reduce the final cost of the project. This project, along with others, was undertaken to ensure the reliability of water utility services in Monroeville."