Preparing for growth: Ohio EPA, Licking County officials updating sewer service plans
Future development hinges on the availability of water and sewer service, and as Licking County's era of rapid development continues, local officials are planning who will provide sewer service to the county's unincorporated areas for the next decade.
It's part of updating a federally mandated water quality management plan that oversees sewer service, and the work has been ongoing since late last year.
With Intel, Amazon, Microsoft and other companies developing in Licking County, water and sewer has been a hot topic over the past year, specifically when it comes to service areas for utility providers.
Once updated, all Licking County communities will have a common understanding about which providers serve each area, Granville Village Manager Herb Koehler said.
From a municipal perspective, Koehler said knowing where utility providers can serve will allow communities to better influence the types of development that happen, which is critical for communities like Johnstown, Alexandria and Granville that are close to Intel's site just south of Johnstown.
"To the extent that we we are granted the authority to service certain areas, that allows us to work with those unincorporated townships on what the right and responsible development looks like," he said.
What is a water quality management plan?
A management plan for sewer service, called a 208 plan, is for the whole county. It describes the comprehensive programs controlling water pollution in a geographic area, said Mark Johnson, chief of the surface water division at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. His division regulates wastewater treatment plants throughout Ohio.
"It essentially determines what utility provider is going to provide sewer where. A 208 plan plan is strictly sewer," he said.
Counties across the country are required under the federal Clean Water Act to have a plan, and the Ohio EPA keeps track of these sewer service plans for every county in the state, Johnson said.
Does this include service plans for water?
The short answer is no, water is not included. Johnson said the U.S. EPA doesn't require a service plan for potable water under the Clean Water Act.
"We typically see municipalities and local communities kind of follow the 208 process for water, like the same lines," he said.
For example, Johnson said, if the city of Newark is going to provide sewer service to an area, then the city typically provides water to that same area.
Who's involved with updating Licking County's sewer plan?
All Licking County sewer providers have been part of the update process. Those include municipalities such as Newark, Granville, Alexandria, Johnstown and Heath, as well as the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District, Johnson said.
Initial meetings were held just with the utility providers; then another meeting was held earlier this year with township officials, primarily ones from western Licking County townships, which are likely to see development first, Johnson said.
"We are really impressing upon the locals to work together, and we want the locals to decide who serves sewer where and present that plan to Ohio EPA. We want it very much be a local decision," Johnson said.
What local officials had to say about the update process
Johnstown, Alexandria and Granville have been working together for more than a year on a potential water and sewer service partnership, and that work has carried over into the management plan update process.
The alliance between the municipalities, referred to as JAG, started after Licking County commissioners extended the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District's service area in October 2022 to include 11,702 acres in Jersey Township, 3,439 in St. Albans Township and 3,041 acres in Monroe Township. The water and sewer district then purchased nearly 100 acres of St. Albans land in March 2023 for a future wastewater treatment plant.
Koehler said there have been productive conversations among JAG, the Ohio EPA and the Southwest Licking district about where sewer service boundary adjustments may be warranted.
While conversations have been productive, Koehler said there have been friction points, including part of St. Albans Township between Alexandria and Ohio 161.
Even though the conversations are challenging, everyone is entering them with good intentions, said Jim Roberts, executive director for the Southwest Licking district.
"We're the only regional water and sewer district in Licking County, so that puts us on a little bit of a different footing with everybody else. Sometimes that works to our advantage; maybe sometimes it doesn't," he said. "But it does put us in a situation where there's a lot of areas that we might be the only ones that can really, feasibly service them, and so it makes it makes for some very interesting and challenging conversations."
As utility providers work through which ones will serve different areas, Johnstown City Manager Sean Staneart said JAG's approach has been to consider the community and school district boundaries.
"When, where and how water and sewer are provided in these areas will heavily impact the scale, density and type of development which could occur," he said. "Ultimately, the developments can have a profound impact on the residents in these respective areas."
Does this mean sewer lines will be extended to unincorporated areas?
As part of updating the management plan, townships can state what areas they want sewer service extended over the next five to 10 years, said Granville Township Trustee Rob Schaadt during the board's March 13 meeting.
"We can also label areas that we don't have any intention or desire for servicing at this point in time," Schaadt said, speaking on behalf of Granville Township.
How often are these plans updated, and when was Licking County's last done?
Johnson said the Ohio EPA strives to update every county's management plan every 10 years, but there is no set schedule and it is sometimes far beyond 10 years.
For example, Licking County's plan was last updated in 2006, Johnson said.
"It's definitely been past that 10-year mark," Johnson said. "Licking County was on our radar to get updated, but certainly it moved up the list because of Intel and all the future growth that is anticipated in this region."
There have been amendments to service areas since 2006, including when the Licking County Commissioners extended Southwest Licking's service area in October 2022.
Because of central Ohio's anticipated growth, Delaware County's plan is also being updated. It was also last updated in 2006, Johnson said. The updates for each county are happening simultaneously, but are not connected.
Johnson said the Ohio EPA has asked Licking County communities to plan for the next 10 years as they update the service plan, but he added the department can initiate an update at any time.
"With all the growth occurring, I don't think anybody knows exactly what that looks like yet," Johnson said. "So, we are planning to keep a close eye on it and initiate a 208 (plan) change before 10 years if needed."
What's the process for updating the sewer service plan?
Ohio EPA works with the local utility providers and the townships to gather all the necessary information needed to update the plan, Johnson said.
"We try to collaborate between all the parties," he said. "Our ultimate goal is to have the locals provide Ohio EPA an updated 208 plan that all the locals agree to."
The Ohio EPA contracted with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, or MORPC, to gather information and data, such as comprehensive plans from the municipalities and townships and data from the service providers on their current service areas.
Johnson said the Ohio EPA facilitates collaboration and open communications between all the entities involved. If there are areas where more than one service provider wants to provide sewer service, Johnson said, the Ohio EPA facilitates meetings to find a resolution.
What's the approval process for the plan, and when can residents provide feedback?
No draft of the updated plan is publicly available yet, as work remains ongoing. Once all the entities agree to the updated plan, township trustees, municipal councils and the Southwest Licking trustees will vote on the new service plan, Johnson said.
If there are any changes from the existing 208 plan, Johnson said, Licking County commissioners will also vote on them.
Then the updated service plan is sent to the Ohio EPA, which will open a 30-day public comment period.
"Once there is a draft ready, Ohio EPA will issue that for public comment through our channels and our websites, and we will spread the word to everyone to comment," Johnson said.
After all the comments are addressed, Ohio EPA director will sign off on the service plan, and it will go to the governor for certification. After that, it heads to the U.S. EPA for final approval, Johnson said.
When will the updated service plan be finalized?
Johnson didn't have an exact timeline for when the updated service plan will be complete and sent to the U.S. EPA, but said the Ohio EPA is telling Licking County leaders to work together and provide a plan as soon as possible.
"Our goal would be to have an updated 208 plan no later than the end of 2024 for the entire process," he said.
mdevito@gannett.com
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Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Ohio EPA, Licking County officials updating sewer service plans
