The expression goes, “there is no free lunch.”
But for the village of Archbold, there are free sewers.
Using two state grant programs, bad sections of underground sanitary sewer pipelines, mostly in Archbold’s northwest quadrant, will be repaired.
The northwest quadrant is the area bounded by North Defiance Street to the east and the railroad tracks to the south.
The construction project is anticipated to start in September, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 1.
Dexter Krueger, Archbold engineer, said that date could be pushed back as more sections of “problem” sewers are added to the list.
Old Pipes
The sewer lines in place are mostly old vitrified clay and concrete that were installed in the 1960s and 1970s, meaning those pipes have been in ground for 50- 60 years. They range in size from 8-18 inches.
Because the pipe is old it is cracking and leaking, allowing groundwater into the sanitary sewer system.
That creates problems with overflows, backups, and basement flooding.
Tree roots are also getting into the sewer lines, creating additional problems.
The Fix
The solution is not to dig up and replace the old sewer pipes. Instead, new pipe will be created within the old ones through a process known as lining.
A special material is inserted into the old pipe. The material is then expanded within the pipe, sealing cracks and leaks.
Krueger said village officials attempted to get grant money for the project through the 2021 Ohio Department of Development Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program.
It is the same grant program that awarded the village of Fayette roughly $10 million to replace its water distribution system.
Archbold did not receive the grant money, but Krueger said the village did go ahead and do the design work.
The project was put out for bids, and during its Sept. 19, 2022 meeting, council voted to award the bid to Visu- Sewer of Ohio, LLC, based in Reynoldsburg. The winning bid was $1,113,920.
A total of six bids were received from contractors as far away as Pennsylvania and Missouri. The highest bid was more than $1,278,000. The engineer’s estimated cost was $1.27 million.
Money
Krueger said in May 2023, village officials were contacted by representatives from the Ohio Department of Development.
ODOD told village officials additional money was being put into the water and wastewater grant program for a fifth round of grants.
State officials asked for status updates for the Archbold sewer project.
“I let them know that this project had not yet been constructed,” Krueger said.
“I was contacted this past Monday (July 17) (and told) that our project had been awarded.”
The village will receive $625,000 through the fifth round of the grant program. It’s one of 90 different water infrastructure projects receiving grants that will total $135 million.
The money is part of a program called Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success).
But Wait, There’s More
The $625,000 grant isn’t the end of the story.
Krueger said Archbold has funds available from another American Rescue Plan Act Grant.
“This project will be entirely paid for with grant money,” he said.
There shouldn’t be much heavy construction in connection with the project.
“This project consists mostly of lining of existing sanitary sewers. There should be little digging required,” Krueger said.
“The sewers will be accessed from existing manholes, so if the manholes are in the street, there may be some minimal disruption to traffic.”