Towering project

FORT RECOVERY — Another water tower is on the way.

Fort Recovery Village Council heard about plans to construct a second water tower on the north side of the village during its meeting Monday.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday the village will be receiving a $1.25 million grant for the project through the Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure program. Fort Recovery village administrator Randy Diller explained Monday the village will be constructing a 250,000-gallon elevated tower, mirroring the existing tower located along Industrial Drive on the southeastern side of the village. (The current tower was installed in 2001.) The $1.65 million project — the village will contribute approximately $400,000, with about half coming from the village’s water tower improvement fund and the rest from the water capital fund — also includes installing an additional 2,600 feet of water line.

In 2021, the DeWine administration launched the Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure program as a part of the governor’s H2Ohio initiative to “focus on ensuring plentiful, clean, and safe water for communities across the state,” according to a press release from the governor’s office.

Approximately $500 million has been dedicated to the Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure program, which has awarded four rounds of funding so far with a fifth round to be announced later this summer. The Ohio BUILDS program is also designed to contribute toward projects that “improve quality of life and support economic growth such as broadband expansion, brownfield redevelopment, the demolition of blighted buildings, and more,” according to the press release.

Village council has discussed investing in a second water tower to meet the village’s growing daily water consumption, which has increased in the last five years. The existing water tower doesn’t meet population growth demands, the press release says.

“(This) would give us 500,000 (gallons) in the air and about another 100,000 in the clear well,” Diller said.

He noted an extra 250,000 gallons of water would have been useful to have on hand in April when JR Manufacturing’s facility in the village was destroyed by a fire, which lasted about 13 hours.

He shared hopes to build the tower on J. & M. Manufacturing’s at least 61 acres of property at 284 Railroad St., but the plan has not yet been approved by the company’s board of directors.

The water tower will take up an 80-foot-square space. Because of the higher elevation on the north side of town, Diller said, it will not need to be as tall as the existing tower.

“The higher the point, the shorter the tower,” he said. “Because the overflow will be the same height as (the existing tower), so, the higher we get up elevation-wise, the shorter we can make the tower, which obviously is less money.”

There’s also an existing 12-inch water line in the area. Plans are to add onto the water line with the existing system and create a loop, helping with the water flow and rate.

“I have no idea how fast we can move on this,” said Diller, noting he’s expecting another email from the state sometime this week about what step comes next with the process.

Council also learned about potential projects the village could look into if it receives a grant through the Small Government Program offered by Ohio Public Works Commission. Fort Recovery will be eligible next year for another round of funding through the program. Diller suggested applying for money to replace the water line on Butler Street (Ohio 119) from Fort Site Street to William Street, reconstruct Butler Street from Fort Site Street to Main Street or reconstruct Butler Street from George Street to the western village limit.

In other business, council members Cliff Wendel, Scott Pearson, Al Post, Luke Knapke, Erik Fiely and Greg Schmitz:

•Agreed to reschedule their next meeting to 6:30 p.m. July 10

•Learned National Night Out is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. July 16 at Ambassador Pool