Richland County officials have marked the end of a four-year, $4.4 million sanitary sewer overhaul along the Ohio 97 corridor near Interstate 71, according to Richland Source. The project is intended to accommodate commercial and residential growth in southern Richland County and around Bellville.
County Administrator Andrew Keller described the sewer work as the county's least visible American Rescue Plan Act investment but among its most consequential. The county spent more than $23 million in ARPA funds over five years, the report said.
The project replaced deteriorating utility lines and lift stations dating to the 1970s. It covered about three miles, including lining old clay pipes and installing a new force main along Ohio 97 to Myers Avenue. Two elevated lift stations at Bellville-Johnsville and Kochheiser roads were built for flood-prone conditions, with locally made Gorman-Rupp pumps and backup generators. Crestline-based Driven Excavating was prime contractor, Richland Engineering's Patrick Schwan said.
The system was built by the county in 1980. A 2022 addendum to a 1981 agreement set up improvements and transfer to Bellville, which officials said also aligns corridor user rates with village rates. Work faced high groundwater and dewatering delays; commissioners granted a five-month extension in April 2026, moving the deadline to Sept. 18.
Mayor Teri Brenkus said the system supports a new Holiday Inn Express and a YMCA sports complex and ends persistent odors near Myers Avenue. County wastewater director Amanda Miller said administrative steps remain to transfer 28 customers, with a goal of completing the handover by Christmas.