Village of Buckeye Lake Drinking Water Distribution System Online Media Kit
Ohio EPA appreciates your interest in covering the Village of Buckeye Lake Drinking Water Distribution System Project. To facilitate your reporting, we have created this online media kit.
If you need more information or would like to schedule an interview to speak with a staff member about the project, please contact Melissa Fazekas by e-mail or phone at (614) 644-2782 for general inquiries related to federal stimulus funding or Erin Strouse by e-mail or phone at (614) 644-2160 for inquiries related to the village of Buckeye Lake.
Background
Buckeye Lake remains one of the largest villages in the state without a public drinking water system, though it has been planning one for many years. There have been a number of public health concerns resulting from the current wells and small public water systems on which the village relies. Many of the small businesses in Buckeye Lake have struggled to comply with regulatory standards. This new drinking water distribution system is expected to rectify these issues by tying in about two dozen small public water systems.
More than $6.6 million has been slated for the village of Buckeye Lake to help establish a drinking water distribution system at a much more affordable rate for residents. A zero-interest, 30-year loan worth more than $1.6 million from Ohio EPA’s Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) will supplement $5 million made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Other agencies, including the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Public Works Commission, the Ohio Water Development Authority and the Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program, also supplied the village significant grants, loans and valuable technical assistance.
Federal and state funding will make the project much more affordable for village residents and businesses and bring quality drinking water and other health, safety, environmental and economic benefits to the community. Construction is underway on the system – the top ranked drinking water project in Ohio and one of the first in the state to be significantly funded by federal stimulus money. The system is expected to service nearly 1,200 households and be operational in July 2010.
The total cost of the project is approximately $7 million. Water system customers in Buckeye Lake are estimated to save approximately $3.8 million in interest by financing the project with the ARRA money and an interest-free WSRLA loan.
Reporters can contact Ohio EPA’s Erin Strouse or M•E Companies engineering firm (614) 818-4900 x490) for an artistic rendering of Buckeye Lake’s drinking water distribution system.
More information on other proposed drinking water and water pollution control projects in Ohio is available in an online media kit.
For more information on the federal program, visit U.S. EPA’s Web site at www.epa.gov/recovery/ or the federal ARRA recovery Web site at www.recovery.gov.
Associated Documents
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Buckeye Lake ARRA Media Event
Photos and Captions
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Please feel free to use the graphics on this page with your articles. We have provided captions for each. The thumbnail images on this page are low resolution graphics.
Please click on the desired image to download a high resolution copy. If you have problems downloading the files, please contact Erin Strouse by e-mail or phone at (614) 644-2160 or e-mail the Webmaster.
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Bharat Mathur, U.S. EPA Region 5 Acting Administrator, addresses a crowd gathered at Buckeye Lake State Park on June 24, 2009, during a groundbreaking ceremony of the village’s new drinking water distribution system.
"We’re demonstrating here in Buckeye Lake today that EPA is part of the solution in this economic downturn,” said U.S. EPA Region 5 Acting Administrator Bharat Mathur. “Protecting human health and the environment is a great way to put people to work and stimulate our economy."
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Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski announces that the village of Buckeye Lake will get more than $6.6 million in federal and state funding for a drinking water distribution system. (At the June 24, 2009 groundbreaking ceremony at Buckeye Lake State Park.)
“Soon residents will be able to enjoy a safe, reliable source of drinking water,” said Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski. “What’s more, this project will provide a much-needed boost to the local economy and will create an estimated 50 jobs.”
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Buckeye Lake Mayor Frank Foster holds the groundbreaking shovel presented by M•E Companies, the engineering firm hired by the village. Also pictured are officials from the village of Buckeye Lake, U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Water Development Authority, Ohio Public Works Commission, Rural Community Assistance Program and M•E Companies.
Pictured from left to right (first row) are Drew Bourne - Councilman, Village of Buckeye Lake, Jeryne Peterson - Councilwoman, Village of Buckeye Lake, Cary King - ODOD, Charlene Hayden - Council President, Village of Buckeye Lake, Frank Foster - Mayor, Village of Buckeye Lake and Bharat Mathur - U.S. EPA Region 5 Acting Regional Administrator. In the second row, from left to right are Steve Grossman, Ohio Water Development Authority, John Rauch, Rural Community Assistance Program, Michael Miller, Ohio Public Works Commission, Chris Korleski, Ohio EPA Director and Kevin Wood, M•E Companies
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According to M•E Companies, the village’s engineer, Buckeye Lake is installing nearly 67,000 feet of water line, a pump station and a storage tank to be able to connect to the nearby village of Millersport’s drinking water source. Millersport also plans to receive federal and state funding to construct larger lines to service Buckeye Lake.
Graphic courtesy of M•E Companies
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Construction is underway on Buckeye Lake's new drinking water distribution system.
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Aerial photograph of construction site courtesy of M•E Companies
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General Photos of Buckeye Lake
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