EPA pressures Springfield to make sewer upgrades

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) - The EPA has put pressure on the city of Springfield to upgrade water sewer plant.  City service director Chris Moore said these upgrades are needed.

"If projects of this nature are not completed, the water will be dirtier.  The water in Mad River will be dirtier," said Moore.

The 61 million dollar project is called the Wet Weather Improvements Project.   

"Behind us we are installing a high rate treatment facility that will increase plant capacity from 34 million gallons a day to 134 million gallons a day, " Moore said.

Moore said currently the plant doesn't have the capacity to handled the extra water from snow melt or rainfall.  He said the city has a combine sewer system and often times the sewage and rainwater mixes in the sewer plant.

"At 34 million gallons per day, the plant has to bypass and divert the mixed sewage and storm water to Mad River," said Moore.

Moore said the Ohio EPA and Federal EPA have mandated that the city make these upgrades and several others in the coming years to stop this problem.

The city received a loan up front from the EPA to fund a portion of the project.  Moore said everyone will reap the benefits once construction is completed.

"So anybody who's using the Mad River for recreational or other purposes could see some sort of improvement," said Moore.