Board of Trustees
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District (The District) Board of Trustees will finish 2019 approving several resolutions that will impact our water agreement with the City of Toledo and our board structure.
In November, the Board appointed District Engineer Tom Stalter to be The District representative for the Toledo Regional Water Commission. According to Board Chairman Mark Sheffer, "As part of the newly formed commission, Stalter's role will be crucial to ensure The District has a voice in the decisions made by this regional commission."
The District's Board of Trustees may soon have an additional member if the Henry County merger is approved by the courts. According to the proposed filings, The District's Board of Trustees will add one board seat appointed by the Henry County Commissioners.
" We feel this will fairly represent our larger service territory," said Sheffer. Municipalities and townships in Henry County may also be able to vote on a board seat if the merger is approved.
Those municipalities and townships in Henry County may be able to fill a board seat appointed by the township or municipalities which comprise all of The District. In other board news, John Cheney was reappointed to his board seat by the Wood County Commissioners.
The District's board is currently awaiting the election of a township-appointed trustee to fill Rob Armstrong's available seat. The new board member will be appointed in January 2020.
2020 Rates
The District recently completed a comprehensive rate study which will be used to develop the 2020 water and sewer rates. The District relies solely on rates to maintain and improve our water and wastewater systems.
The rates are based on recovering the costs associated with maintaining these systems. The District Board of Trustees will vote on the 2020 rates in December.
Henry County
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District and the Henry County Regional Water and Sewer District (HCRWSD) have filed petitions with the courts to finalize the merger of the districts.
Both districts should see final decisions by the courts by January 1, 2020. This action was requested by the HCRWSD, due to increasing costs of maintenance, increasing state/federal regulations, and a lack of resources.
Announcements
District Board of Trustees Meetings in December will be held on the 1st and the 3rd Thursday at 7:30 a.m. due to the holidays. Boar meetings are open to the public.
- Holiday Office Closures: At noon, Tuesday, December 24 Wednesday, December 25. Wednesday, January 1.
CONSTRUCTION CORNER
Northwood-East Broadway Valve Installation
Through December, lane and shoulder restrictions are possible on East Broadway Street between Wales and Andrus Roads for valve installation. Project investment: $480,000.
Rossford-Sanitary Sewer Work
Through April 2020, lane restrictions are possible on Eagle Point Road and Birch Drive for sanitary sewer lining. Project investment: $1.2 million.
Rossford-Deimling Road Water & Sewer Line Installation
Through December, lane and shoulder restrictions are possible on Deimling Road, from Simmons to Lime City Roads, for water and sewer line installation near the Amazon construction site. Project complete: January 2020. Project investment: $502,000.
Operators with Out Borders
Two District operators applied their expertise to help rebuild the water system in the Bahamas that was destroyed by hurricane Dorian. In November, Ohio EPA licensed operators Tom McGrain and Todd Saums flew to Grand Bahama and Abaco islands to help repair the water system as part of Operators Without Borders. Operators Without Borders is a non-profit organization that assists with post-disaster recovery for water and wastewater utilities in the Caribbean.
While there, the two assisted another team of water professionals in determining the depth of saltwater vs. freshwater, drilling test wells, and taking samples. According to District Operator Todd Saums, "The terrain was very rough. We had to hike for miles with equipment because roads were still closed from debris."
The team would like to thank fellow operators from around the state of Ohio, and members of the Ohio Water Environment Association (OWEA) that raised money to fully fund their transportation and accommodations.