The Mount Vernon City Council has authorized an application for a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) to plan, design, and construct wastewater facilities. Council member John Ruckman emphasized that multiple votes are needed before the project can move forward.
Joe Jacobs from Arcadis, the city’s consulting firm, provided an update during the February 10 meeting, stating that the last major updates to the wastewater treatment plant were completed in 2012, with earlier updates in 2006, 1996, 1991, and 1972. The project aims to address aging infrastructure and protect the Kokosing River, which is designated as a Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources due to its exceptional warmwater habitat and recreational value. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated a schedule for phosphorus removal, as many of the treatment plant’s major processes have not been updated for decades.
Jacobs discussed several potential funding sources, including grants and zero-interest funds from the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC). The WPCLF, administered by the Ohio EPA, provides low-interest loans for infrastructure upgrades, as well as zero-interest loans for nutrient reduction projects. The program offers up to $30 million in loans for such projects. OPWC Credit Enhancements may also provide up to $250,000 in grants to offset interest payments during construction.
Jacobs noted that the cost to upgrade Mount Vernon’s wastewater treatment plant, which will treat 4.1 million gallons per day (MGD), is estimated at approximately $45 million. For comparison, Circleville, Ohio, spent $38.4 million in 2022 to upgrade its facility with a 4 MGD capacity, while Delaware County spent $48 million upgrading its 6 MGD plant.
The project schedule includes WPCLF design loan applications and selection of a construction manager by February 2025. A contractor will be hired by April 2025, with a loan resolution expected in August and submission in September. Detailed designs will be completed by November 2025, with construction beginning in January 2026. The project is expected to be completed by August 2028.
