Elyria seeking to become sole water provider for Sheffield

ELYRIA — The city is seeking to eventually become the sole water provider for Sheffield, as the Elyria City Council and Sheffield Village Council are set to consider a water sale contract. On Monday, the Elyria Finance Committee voted to recommend approval for Mayor Kevin Brubaker to enter into a water sale agreement with Sheffield. The contract will go before Council as a whole on Monday for consideration. Safety Service Director Chris Pyanowski said that the contract already has gone through at least one reading in Sheffield, but that he could not discuss the cost of the contract or potential charges for Sheffield residents because negotiations are ongoing. Pyanowski did say that under the deal, Elyria initially would partially supply the village's water needs with hopes of eventually providing all of the roughly 500,000 gallons of water a day that the village and its residents use. The agreement needs to be approved by both councils and signed by both Brubaker and Sheffield Mayor Bob Markovich. Pyanowski said that Sheffield and Elyria have been planning and negotiating the new water sale for about six months. If the contract is signed, Pyanowski said that Elyria would have to undergo infrastructure improvements to eventually meet all of Sheffield's water needs. "Whenever we have an opportunity to sell more water, I have two questions: Does the plant have the capacity, which we do, and No. 2, how do we get it to them?" Pyanowski said. "So we are working on the 'how do I get it to them' part. We have two lines that we would have to do a little bit of work (on), not a ton." One line along Gulf Road falls about 700 feet short of connecting to the Sheffield water system, and that gap would need to be closed. Additionally, the Gulf Road pipe and another pipe that already connects to the Sheffield system along Abbe Road North would need to receive new valves and meters. Pyanowski said he did not have the cost estimate for this work on Monday, but said that it would be split between Elyria and Sheffield and the profits from the contract would more than cover Elyria's investment. The more difficult work, and the work that would allow for Elyria to fully supply Sheffield's needs, would be the repair of a pipe that runs under the Black River. Pyanowski said that this third pipe had collapsed at some point in the past, and so would need to be partially reconstructed to allow the connection. Additionally, he said, the pipe originally had not been owned by Elyria, so the city would have to look into getting the ability to fix it. "I am trying to get started with the two lines that we have the easiest infrastructure repairs to, and then we will work on the line under the Black River and increase the water," he said. "Eventually we would probably become their primary and sole water provider." Elyria will not begin any related infrastructure improvements until a deal with Sheffield is signed, so Pyanowski said he did not have an exact date on which service would begin if a deal is reached. If Elyria and Sheffield do enter into a water sale contract, it would be for a term of 30 years, he said after the meeting. "It is a great thing when we can sell water," said City Councilman Phil Tollett, D-at Large, who chairs the Finance Committee. Sheffield currently buys its water in bulk from Avon Lake Regional Water. Elyria is able to supply its own water and provide water to nearby communities, including Amherst and a portion of North Ridgeville's use, because it owns land and operates the Elyria Water Plant in Lorain, on the shores of Lake Erie. The city purchased the land and started construction on the plant in 1901 under Mayor Phillip Reefy, and today Elyria pumps millions of gallons of water a day 8 miles south from the lake to the city. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.