Youngstown to serve water to Canfield
CANFIELD — The ABC Water and Storm Water District has inked an agreement with Youngstown to provide water to Canfield Township’s northwest quadrant.
The agreement came after six years of work and meetings, and notification that the water district would receive $1 million to begin the project.
The ABC district serves Austintown, Boardman and Canfield townships.
According to Keith Rogers, ABC’s board president, bringing water to that area would help solve water quality problems for some residents.
“We’ve had a few residents saying their wells are going bad,” Rogers said.
He said talks began six years ago with Youngstown to provide water. At times, he said, the meetings were not so good — but it all worked out in the end.
The agreement came after a recent meeting with Youngstown, ABC and Aqua Ohio that established boundaries, Rogers said.
The waterlines would come down Turner Road toward Canfield Township Park. The flow would come from the Kirk Road water storage tank, which was tested to ensure the additional customers would not be a drain on that tank. He said the results came back and were very positive.
Also announced was the $1 million grant to begin the project of the Congressionally Directed Spending budget. This was the result of the support of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and the efforts of state Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, who contacted Brown’s office after the project was not accepted as a capital budget project. The Congressionally Directed Spending budget comes from the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and is awarded on a bipartisan basis based on member requests from senators.
Canfield Township trustees realized the importance of the project and committed $325,000 of the township’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Trustee Brian Governor said the project will help existing residents and future developments.
Cardinal Joint Fire Chief Don Hutchison agreed and added one other benefit in having fire hydrants along Turner Road.
“This helped [the fire district] make a big decision,” Hutchison said. “We needed to choose between replacing a ladder truck or purchasing a tanker. With an adequate water supply coming, we chose the ladder truck.”
Hutchison also noted that the addition of the fire hydrants eventually will lower home and property insurance costs because the district will receive a better rating.
Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said he feels good about the 40-year contract that was signed. Asked what Youngstown will get out of the deal, Brown said: “We are expanding our customer base.”
The new waterlines will be run down all the roads in that part of the township, but Governor said no resident will be forced to tie in. He said it is there for those who want it.
Rogers said down the road, the project likely would include a water tank / lift station at Canfield Township Park.
While no start date for the project was stated, Rogers did say the $1 million grant would be available in October and the deadline to use it would be the end of 2024.
Rogers, was joined by Jason Loree of Boardman Township, ABC vice president; and ABC Secretary / Treasurer Robert Santos of Austintown Township in thanking Brown, Youngstown Water Commissioner Harry Johnson III, and Law Director Jeff Limbian for their work on the water agreement. They also acknowledged Sen. Brown, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, Cutrona and Hutchison for their support of the project.