Action coming on proposed regional sewer district in Lorain County

Plans for a Lorain County regional sewer district are coming closer to completion, the county commissioners learned at its meeting Tuesday. Following a public comment period and with a judge's permission, the so-called "6119 plan" — named for the section of state law that governs it — will create a regional sewer district that officials said they hope will improve water quality, lower costs for existing sewer customers and spur economic development. A resolution to start the process of a public comment period and court petition is expected to be on the commissioners' agenda for its meeting Friday. Consultant Lou McMahon told the board that the Central Lake Erie Regional Water Reclamation District — going by the acronym CLERWATR, pronounced "clearwater" — is necessary and beneficial to the region, will optimize existing infrastructure, improve water quality, maintain low-cost sewer rates for users and support regional economic development. Better treatment of wastewater will help eliminate nutrients and so-called "forever chemicals" — perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — and keep Lake Erie healthy, according to county officials. The process will include a public announcement and hearing, then a petition to a Lorain County Common Pleas judge as dictated by Section 6119 of the Ohio Revised Code. A regional sewer district is "kind of like a school board for sewers in this case, if you will" McMahon told the board. This plan is only for a regional sewer district that will treat wastewater at the existing Avon Lake Treatment plant and doesn't involve drinking water or stormwater, McMahon said. Partners in CLERWATR will be Lorain County, Avon Lake and the Lorain County Rural Wastewater District. Their participation will "solve a lot of issues and optimize infrastructure," McMahon said. The plan has been in progress since 2009. A 2012 federally funded study went over the economic benefits of the plan, which then stalled until 2023, McMahon said. The CLERWATR/6119 plan focuses on the east side of the county. It is different from the All Ohio Future Fund's recent $67.4 infrastructure investment on the county's west side, McMahon said. CLERWATR's three-member board will be made up initially of the Lorain County administrator, the water district director and the chief of utilities at Avon Lake in staggered 2-, 3- and 4-year terms along with a CEO to run day-to-day operations. No employees will lose their jobs, and CLERWATR will lease the existing Avon Lake sewer plant at 180 Shields Road in Avon Lake for 30 years, with an option to buy it when the lease expires McMahon said. Expansion would be up to members of the district, McMahon said. He said CLERWATR also will mean greater efficiency and control over sewer infrastructure and the debt that comes with it. It's a financially viable plan, McMahon said. Documents related to the plan will be posted online and an email will be set up to take comments, he said. The commissioners' next meeting is at 9:30 a.m. Friday on the fourth floor of the County Administration Building, 226 Middle Ave. in Elyria. It will be streamed live on the board's YouTube channel and will be available for viewing there after. McMahon said the plan is for a public hearing in mid-October, and if all goes according to plan the petition will be filed in Common Pleas Court in November. Officials previously said the county has to show a judge the plan is viable and will stay viable. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.