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Township seeks levy By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com
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It’s one of those things for the troops to let them know we are thinking about them. Paul Stricker See page 3
At left, Assistant Engineer Garret Chamberlain leads visitors to a top view of the wastewater basin. Directly behind him is Northwood Mayor Ed Schimmel. Top right, Project Manager John Sopko at the top of the structure. Bottom right, Engineer Tom Stalter speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony. (Press photos by Ken Grosjean)
Helping Lake Erie
New basin will reduce overflows By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com The Northwestern Water and Sewer District hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the completion of a $5.8 million wastewater equalization basin or tank located between Williston and Curtice roads in Northwood. District and local officials were at the ribbon cutting ceremony last Tuesday. The new basin controls the amount of rainwater entering the wastewater treatment system in Oregon, protecting Lake Erie by reducing sewer overflows. “It’s one of the largest wastewater storage facilities in Wood County,” Tom Stalter, manager of engineering at the District, told The Press last week. “A lot of thought went into it, so we’re pretty happy with it.” The basin will catch and hold the excess flow of sanitary sewage and storm water temporarily before it is released for
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It’s one of the largest wastewater storage facilities in Wood County.
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Voters in Lake Township, including the villages of Walbridge and Millbury, will decide a 1-mill, continuing levy on the November ballot that will, if passed, be used to fund 24/7 emergency medical service. The millage is projected to generate about $230,204 annually and township officials are stressing that the funding is needed to chart a new course for the service because LifeStar, the current provider, is ending its agreement with the township. “It’s not a question if it’s going to happen. It’s a given. LifeStar has made the decision and we have to go with it,” Fire Chief Bruce Moritz said, adding LifeStar has also ended service contracts with other townships. “We want to continue a good service and make it into a better service.” Under the current agreement, the township provides an emergency vehicle and equipment for LifeStar paramedics who are housed at the township’s Cummings Road administration building while on duty. Two paramedics are on duty per shift. A 0.8-mill levy has been used to help fund the current service. Chief Moritz said the township’s own fire and EMS departments are staffed by volunteers who’ve been responding to a steadily increasing call volume. In 2016, the departments made 1,185 runs – about 77 percent of which were for emergency medical service. “It’s too big to put this all on the shoulders of the volunteers,” he said. “We’ll have to hire paramedics.” Mark Hummer, the township’s police chief and administrator, said the township’s intent is to be “up and running” under the new format prior to the expiration of the LifeStar contract next April if the levy is approved. “This is not something the fire chief and trustees wanted to do,” Hummer said
treatment in Oregon following significant rainfall events. “It is operating right now,” said Stalter. “We haven’t had to use it yet because we haven’t had any significant rainfall events that would require it. A lot of it will depend on how saturated the ground is and how big the rainfall event is.” The project was funded by the Ohio
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Environmental Protection Agency. Northwood has a contract with the District for water and sewer services from Toledo and Oregon. Oregon has an agreement with the EPA to make improvements to its system, which affects the District. EPA mandate The basin was built in response to an EPA mandate that restricts the amount of rainwater that gets treated in Oregon to five million gallons per day. It is not a problem during dry weather, but under wet weather conditions, it can exceed the limit. The District reviewed the flow over an 18-month period, and determined it had exceeded five million gallons per day 60 times. The District’s contract with Oregon, which was renewed in 2014, mandated the implementation of a new control structure Continued on page 5