The next phase of construction of a U.S. EPA-mandated resident septic tank to sanitary sewer conversion in Parma, Ohio, is set to begin this summer.
According to The Parma Sun Post, bids for the project will be opened next week. Construction for the $1.3 million project will start in July and be completed in December.
“This project has a total of 20 parcels, which will get sanitary sewers, as well as sanitary connections,” Parma Assistant City Engineer Hasmukh Patel told The Parma Sun Post. “The final [resident] assessment will be determined based on actual project cost. Because we secured a good amount of project funding, we think final assessment will be significantly lower than $100 per front frontage.”
For the project, Parma has received a $1,025,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a $160,000 grant from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, and a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission.
According to The Parma Sun Post, the city will also be planning another project next year. Before this project could begin, the Cuyahoga County completed a $2 million drip drop project.
“We have 50 existing homes with failing septic systems,” Patel told The Parma Sun Post. “Currently this project is under design and needs some sanitary sewer easements to complete the design work. The plan is to start construction next year.”
Parma Service Director Brian Higgins had positive things to say about the city’s “run of good luck” regarding the septic-to-sewer conversions.
“The problem with some of these sewer projects is sometimes the city is successful getting grants from multiple places and sometimes you’re just not successful,” Higgins told The Parma Sun Post. “We can’t control that. Obviously, we aggressively seek every dollar out there.”
When the city identified nearly 1,300 septic systems 15 years ago, it started its conversion process. According to The Parma Sun Post, about 800 Parma homes have completed conversions.
“Moving forward, I think there’s only smaller pocket areas,” Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter told The Parma Sun Post. “There aren’t long streets or sections needing septic to sewer conversions. It’s now going to be more piecemeal, which will probably make it more challenging.”
