$16.7 million more in H2Ohio funding on the way

Columbus — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Anne M. Vogel recently announced $16.7 million in H2Ohio water infrastructure grants for 14 projects across the state.

DeWine launched H2Ohio in 2019 as a comprehensive strategy to improve water infrastructure across Ohio and provide increased access to clean, reliable drinking water.

“Projects like the ones we’re announcing speak to the very heart of why we created H2Ohio,” said DeWine. “This funding will help Ohio communities pay for much-needed infrastructure that will not only improve water quality but also the quality of life for people who live in these neighborhoods.”

This new round of H2Ohio funding focused predominantly on supporting the regionalization and consolidation of drinking water and wastewater systems. This included extending water and sewer services to underserved areas and the elimination of inadequate treatment systems. Regionalization provides opportunities for communities to share the costs associated with building, operating, and maintaining the infrastructure needed to provide safe and clean water to those communities.

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Among the grants, $1 million in funding will go to Ravenna Township in Portage County to help regionalize a large unsewered area known as the Chinn Allotment. The new wastewater collection system will address ongoing water quality violations cited by the Ohio EPA and the Portage County Combined General Health District.

“We’re very happy that we have a source of funding to address a very specific need in Ravenna Township,” Vogel said. “Our goal is always to help communities find solutions to problems like these – particularly when there is a risk to public health and the environment. A great thing about the Governor’s H2Ohio initiative is that it has the unique ability to fill funding gaps that might not be addressed.”