News

Ohio County is Using $3.5M Surety Payout to Complete Sewer Project

Contractor progressing on K-A Sewer repairs, construction
by Amber Gillenwater
agillenwater@civitasmedia.com
04.03.13 – 07:00 am

KANAUGA/ADDISON — As work continues on the Kanauga-Addison Sewer Project, the Gallia County Board of Commissioners have announced that it is anticipated that sewer construction repairs to the project will be completed near the end of this summer after which cleanup work will be finalized.

The county commissioners recently reported that they are working with their new contractor, Southern Ohio Trenching & Excavating of Ironton, to complete the project “as quickly and as cost effectively as possible in order to correct the problems from the previous contractor.”

According to Gallia County Administrator Karen Sprague, at the request of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, work is currently being completed on the portion of the sewer located in the Addison area so as to connect the Tara Estates to the new sewer system. Upon connection, the existing aging Tara Waste Water Treatment Plant will be taken offline.

Following this, the plan is to have the contractor proceed to Lila Drive and then to Myrtle Avenue. Sewer system repairs will then be finalized on Georges Creek.

According to the commission, Southern Ohio Trenching & Excavating will begin the process of reclaiming yards as soon as the weather permits.

In their recent update the county commissioners further apologized to those residents and citizens in the Kanauga-Addison area that have been adversely impacted by the sewer project over the last several years.

“Our goal is to complete the project this year, have all construction and cleanup completed before year end, doing it as quickly and cost effectively as possible for the county and our residents,” the commissioners said in a statement provided to the Gallipolis Daily Tribune.

Southern Ohio Trenching & Excavating was awarded the bid for the re-construction of the K-A Sewer Project during a Gallia County Commissioner’s meeting in late November.

The bid, in the amount of $1,985,363, represents total repair and completion of the project that consists of 60,000 linear feet of sewer line and stretches through the Kanauga/Addison portion of the county, according to information previously provided by the commission.

The county commission was given responsibility for the completion of the project after they received a $3.5 million check from the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland, the former contractor’s bonding company, on October 5 of last year.

Negotiations with the bonding company began shortly after the original contract for the construction of the sewer was terminated with the former contractor, Trimat Construction, early last year.

Most recently, on February 26, connection notices were mailed to property owners south of the road-side rest on Ohio 7 North, except for residents of Myrtle Avenue and Georges Creek Road.

According to Sprague, this area of the sewer to the county’s connection point with the City of Gallipolis’ sewer system is completely functional.

The sewage from the K-A area is being treated by the city and the county is subsequently being bill for this treatment, according to Sprague.

The residents located within this newly operational area, as well as the residents who will connect to the sewer in the near future, will be given 90 days from the date of the letter to the connect the sewer system.

Once property owners receive letters to connect the system, they are advised to begin the process of connecting to the sewer immediately as they will be billed once the 90-days have expired, whether they are actually connected to the sewer or not.

Property owners may either perform the construction work themselves, if they are an approved sewer contractor through the Gallia County Health Department, or, may utilize the services of a sewer contractor also licensed through the health department.

The county commission advises residents to obtain two or three quotes from these area contractors for installation of their on-lot service laterals to ensure that they are getting the lowest and most responsive prices.

Installation of all service lines will be at the homeowner’s expense, however, as previously reported, financial assistance is available for some property owners through the USDA-Rural Development or through low-income housing/sewer grants that are administered through Gallia-Meigs Community Action.

Those residents wishing to utilize low-income grant funding must contact Diana Roush of Gallia-Meigs Community Action at (740) 446-1018 prior to obtaining quotes and proceeding with the installation of their connections.

Residents wishing to schedule an inspection of a new service line should contact Barbara Bradley, Gallia County Sanitarian, at (740) 441-2944. Bradley can also be reached for information concerning health-department approved contractors for residential installation.

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