Municipal Utility Coalition of Licking County Files Letter of Response with Ohio EPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2025
CONTACT: Angela Snyder 614 323 7266 asnyder@lesiccamper.com
MUNICIPAL UTILITY COALITION OF LICKING COUNTY FILES LETTER OF RESPONSE WITH OHIO EPA
Letter addresses wastewater services issues raised by Licking Regional Water District
GRANVILLE, OH -- The Municipal Utility Coalition of Licking County (Coalition)—a partnership among Granville, Alexandria, and Johnstown to collaborate on the provision of water and wastewater service to western Licking County—has filed a formal response with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to address claims made by the Licking Regional Water District (LRWD) directed at the Coalition’s plan for providing wastewater treatment services in western Licking County. That plan, called a Facility Plan, was filed with OEPA on May 1, 2025.
The LRWD letter, dated February 24, 2025, alleges that the Coalition should not be authorized to provide wastewater services in western Licking County. The Coalition’s response letter acknowledges a basic disagreement with LRWD regarding each entity’s vision for future development. While both parties agree economic development is essential, the Coalition’s Facility Plan calls for gradual, economically viable growth that reflects the community’s interests in preserving its culture and maintaining its other community needs, particularly high-quality schools.
“LRWD’s plan and actions demonstrate that it wants to encourage a one-size-fits-all development approach that is faster paced and with higher density levels than what is desired in this part of Licking County,” said Herb Koehler, Village Manager for the Village of Granville. “In our letter, the Coalition identifies four key issues that reflect the different visions offered by the LRWD and Coalition. The letter also provides detailed responses to specific erroneous statements made by LRWD.”
Highlights from the response letter:
• In addition to their extensive experience providing utility services, Coalition members are also experts in related municipal functions such as land use planning, economic development, streets, infrastructure, and emergency services. Understanding the full spectrum of municipal services is critical to responsible utility provisioning. LRWD only owns and operates wastewater and water supply facilities.
• Collectively, the Coalition owns and operates three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), two water treatment plants (WTP), and more than 115 miles of trunk sewers and water mains, providing sewer and water service to more than 12,000 residents and businesses. LRWD has no WWTPs, WTPs or sewers located in Monroe, St. Albans, Granville, or Jersey Townships. Its nearest wastewater treatment plant is located many miles away. LRWD has struggled for years to provide adequate sewer service to Pataskala due to a lack of capacity in its collection system.
• The Coalition has a tiny fraction of the existing debt of LRWD. The Coalition members’ total water and wastewater debt is $16.06 million. LRWD’s current water and wastewater debt is more than $170 million, more than ten times greater than the Coalition’s. In addition, LRWD projects that it will add approximately $285 million of additional debt in the next five years, bringing its utility debt to nearly half a billion dollars.
• The Coalition has the active support of Johnstown Monroe School District, Granville Exempted School District, and Denison University because the Coalition has committed to the schools that it will manage growth to ensure that over-development, particularly large-scale multi-family housing, does not overwhelm the schools’ ability to house and teach school age children. The schools have raised concerns regarding LRWD’s plans, as those plans encourage spot development, large scale multi-family housing; and a financing scheme dependent on school TIFs and tens of millions of dollars in state grants.
• The current average monthly residential sewer fee charged by the Coalition is $35.80 The current average monthly sewer fee charged by LRWD is $61.51.
The full text of the letter can be viewed at : https://www.muclc.org/
