Fremont watching raw water project

By BECKY BROOKS

Enterprise Editor

clydenews@bizwoh.rr.com

OLD FORT - City of Fremont representative expressed concerns about a proposed Clyde raw water line between Beaver Creek Reservoir and the State Scenic Sandusky River.

Joe Flahiff, the Fremont water treatment superintendent, testified Tuesday night at an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency water quality impact hearing at Old Fort High School. "We would oppose any degradation."

The Ohio EPA must determine if it will approve the Clyde project and if so, which design for accessing the river would be permissible.

One Clyde plan calls for a temporary cofferdam on the river during construction and to trench a waterline to the river. Flahiff questioned if the Clyde had considered partnering on a water source project.

The City of Clyde's $6 million plan, if approved by the Ohio EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, would be to install a 7-mile water line to the river and install a water intake just east of Old Fort.

The entire Clyde Council as announced was among the near 20 people in attendance.

Phillip Farrar, the Clyde water treatment plant supervisor, submitted a flow chart on the average daily flow of water past Fremont. He pointed out that even in the 1988 drought - 306.6 million gallons of water flowed past Fremont's dam daily. The city wants to pull about 2 million gallons daily.

The EPA will accept written comments until April 29 and Later, issue a findings report.