East Liverpool and Hubbard will both be receiving grants for improvements to their wastewater infrastructure.

East Liverpool will receive $1.9 million for improvements to their wastewater treatment plant, and Hubbard will receive $276,497 to repair its sewer system. 

The grants come from the Ohio Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success (BUILDS) water infrastructure program's 4th round of funding, totaling $114 million. 

The project in East Liverpool will focus around remediating an array of Ohio EPA violations at the city's wastewater treatment plant. It will also be used to prevent wastewater overflows into the Ohio river during rainstorms. The repairs are estimated to affect 11,800 people.

In a release about the funding, State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel's (R-Columbiana) office said, "for Columbiana County, now more than ever, it’s critical we seek to improve and protect our treatment of both drinking and wastewater throughout the district."

In Hubbard, the funds will be used to repair and replace portions of the town's sewer, which the project rundown from Governor DeWine's office says is at "the end of its useful life" and "at high risk of failure and collapse." 

The section of sewer set to be replaced services both the middle and high schools in Hubbard, which face the threat of sewer backups without repairs to the city sewer system. 

The project there will replace approximately 600 feet of sewer lines and improve three sewer lift stations, affecting an estimated 3,117 people.