By BILL SHERRY • Correspondent
PAULDING – Some streets will be closed, traffic rerouted, home utility services lost for a short time and may force some of you to get out your boots. The notice to proceed with the first phase of the sewer separation project, which was mandated by the Ohio EPA, was issued to Underground Utilities on Feb. 13. This sewer separation project (Phase 1) is scheduled for completion April 9, 2014 at a cost of $4,157,502.52.
Paulding village officials, Jones & Henry Engineers Ltd. management, project manager Michael Karafa, Ohio EPA officials, Ohio Gas Company representatives, AEP representatives, ODOT, and the press attended a Paulding sewer separation project pre-construction meeting on Feb. 13.
Combined sewers are found in many communities and carry both sanitary sewage and stormwater in the same pipe. In wet weather, the excess combined flows are transported to overflow conduits that discharge into a local body of water. Implementation of the project will result in environmental benefits, mainly water quality improvement in Flat Rock Creek.
Phase I will separate sewers on portions of the following streets: Jackson, Perry, Harrison, Wayne, Sugar, German, Walnut, Cherry, Main, Caroline, Emerald and Flatrock.
Work will include replacing approximately 8,600 feet of sanitary sewer, the installation of about 12,000 feet of storm sewer and rehabilitating 11,000 feet of cured-in-place sewer.
Numerous issues concerning the engineers, village officials, various utilities and the Ohio EPA included communications and correspondence, utility comments, shop drawings, insurance, estimate, construction site observation, construction schedule, shutdowns, construction procedures, emergency contacts, labor standards, safety and document retention.
Underground utilities project manager Michael Karafa indicated that construction was to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 19 with two crews; one will start on Emerald Road, near the Paulding School, and the other on Perry Street. Emerald Road will be closed until the crew completes the work on Emerald Road and turns the corner on Caroline Street.
The closing of Emerald Road will impact traffic around the school so staff parking lots will need to be temporarily closed and buses will be circled around the parking lot. This will cause some inconveniences for a short while, but it is just a part of this construction project.
It was stated that homeowners would be affected as various lines are tapped. Homeowners will be notified in advance and the day of actual construction. This will help make the project as painless as possible.
It was stated that there were already complaints which will all be handled by Jones & Henry, who has developed a standard complaint form. These forms can be obtained from the village office. Jones & Henry representative Joe Hotz commented that they want to track and answer every complaint.
There was discussion and decisions made regarding the material used to contact gas lines, tamping around cast iron water lines, taps into main lines, movement of street lights and power pole relocation.
There were specific requirements concerning where to dispose of excess dirt from the project. The Ohio EPA required the contractor to get all dump sites approved by the Ohio EPA prior to hauling any dirt to these sites. The Auglaize Quarry and land across from the Paulding County Fairground has already been approved.
Several semi loads of pipe and other materials were unloaded on Feb. 13 across from the Cooper Plant on West Caroline Street. Now the effort of digging and hiding as much of this material as possible, underground down the center of the street, in front of homes and businesses, begins.
The next construction meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 28 at the construction field office on Jackson Street.
