Two City of Westerville departments – the Public Service Department and Westerville Water Division – have launched major construction projects recently to upgrade their facilities to plan for and meet future service requirements. The new Westerville Service Complex and under-construction Westerville Water Plant are now positioned for long-term success in meeting facility needs and requirements and, in the water plant’s case, new federal standards.
Construction on the new Westerville Service Complex began last summer, remaining ahead of schedule through early fall. The facility provides needed expansion space for the Service Department’s four divisions: street maintenance, utilities, environmental maintenance and fleet maintenance. Administrative offices will be relocated to the site, with an expected move-in date by the end of the year.
Adjacent to the new office is a vehicle storage structure, which will be large enough to store the department’s fleet of vehicles and equipment. Previously, equipment and vehicles were moved around to accommodate for weather and use as needed.
A salt storage facility, built in 2012, is part of the new complex. The salt “barn” can store 7,800 tons of salt – slightly more than our average winter use – and is stocked and prepared for use in combating winter weather on Westerville roads.
Planning for the Westerville Water Treatment Plant project has been underway for more than two years, with construction starting in September. The $10 million facility is designed to comply with two new federal Environmental Protection Agency drinking water quality regulations, as well as maintain and improve the quality of water service provided to Westerville customers.
The project includes a new water treatment facility adjacent to the existing water treatment plant, which will add a second filtration step to the existing treatment process. The facility will house enhanced Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration, a process similar to that of many home charcoal-filtration devices equipped to remove a large variety of potential contaminants that may exist at extremely low levels. The GAC process helps establish compliance with new federal drinking water regulations and allows customers to continue enjoying drinking water quality of the highest caliber.
The project was financed by a low interest rate loan from the Ohio EPA and a revised water rate structure. While the average residential water bill is projected to increase by about $2 per month next year, Westerville water rates remain the lowest in central Ohio.
“Our Water Treatment Plant has served us well for 40 years; Westerville’s water is high-quality, reliable and delivered to customers with the lowest average water bill in the region,” says Richard Lorenz, water utility manager for the City of Westerville. “This project takes us into the next generation of utility standards and keeps water service at home in Westerville.”
Learn more about the Westerville Water Division and the water treatment process in a featured segment of “Focus Westerville” online at www.westerville.org/water.
Photo: Westerville City Council broke ground on the Westerville Water Treatment Plant on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The project is expected to be complete in early 2015.
