Cameron Deem, left, answers a question from Scott Verner at the Brookfield Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Cameron Deem, left, answers a question from Scott Verner at the Brookfield Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Trumbull County has hit the major milestones in its expansion and renovation of the wastewater treatment plant on Standard Avenue in Masury, officials said.

There’s still work to be done, and some materials won’t be delivered until after the first of the year, but “We’re getting close,” said Cameron Deem, adding the work will be “substantially complete” by the end of the year.

Deem is with Burgess and Niple, the company hired by the county to oversee construction.

Construction began in November 2021. The plant was last renovated in 1986, and standards for treatment have changed. The project updates the plant for a new generation, and addresses problems identified by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and things that likely will become compliance issues in the future, officials said.

The plant used to release partially treated water into Yankee Run when heavy rains caused excessive flow to the plant. A 2.8 million-gallon equalization basin has been built to detain excess water, so it can be released slowly into the plant and treated fully before being released into the creek.

The basin has been used during recent heavy rains, and a side benefit to it is that plant operators can hold incoming water in the basin if they need to shut down the treatment process for repairs or maintenance, Deem said.

The project also has installed an ultraviolet water disinfection system that replaced the disinfection of water with chlorine, a hazardous chemical, officials said.

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Essentially no part of the plant was left untouched. There’s a new building where wastewater enters the plant, and the outflow pipe was replaced with one with a larger-diameter opening.

Deem noted change orders for the $17 million project have amounted to just over $800,000, which have been handled within the budget because the construction bids came in under estimate.

There will be a few change order items to come, Deem said.

The project is funded by an EPA loan, which sewer users will pay off. Scott Verner, deputy sanitary engineer, said a rate study is underway, with completion slated for the fall and from which a new rate structure will be recommended. Trumbull County commissioners will have to approve any rate adjustments.

The plant was built in 1962 and treats waste from 3,600 homes and businesses in Brookfield, Masury and part of Hubbard Township.