Bellevue’s aging waterlines need replacing, residents and council say
Roger Avenue residents changing rust filters every few weeks pushed council to move up a $142,000 line replacement. The city says other streets wait too.
Residents of Roger Avenue told city council’s Utilities Committee on Monday that rust and sediment in their tap water are clogging home filters every two to four weeks.
Committee chairwoman Judy Konst asked when the street’s waterline would be replaced, noting the administration had said in October the work would be done this spring. City Engineer Kevin Scagnetti told her other projects, including the emergency replacement of a sewage lift station on Northwest Street, were taking up time. Mayor David Kile said the work would get done soon.
A citywide problem
Safety-Service Director Jeff Crosby said the Roger Avenue line, estimated at nearly $142,000, might not fully solve the problem there. He said other neighborhoods also have cast iron mains laid in the 1950s and 1960s that need replacing, and he cautioned council against moving one street ahead of others while also resisting rate increases.
The debate set up a later review of Bellevue’s water and sewer rates; see Study: city should raise water and sewer rates. The Ohio EPA oversees public water systems and posts guidance on discolored water.
For how city services are paid for, see reading your property tax bill. More in Local News.