COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state of Ohio is allocating more than $7 million in grants for five drinking water and wastewater projects around the Mahoning Valley.

The largest grant impacting the most people locally goes to the City of Youngstown which is receiving $4,839,300 to replace an existing combined sewer along the Mahoning River, spanning from Division Street to West Avenue.

Approximately 10,800 linear feet of 60-inch and 48-inch sewer will be installed, along with a road for maintenance access and a bike path.

Upsizing the existing sewer will allow for more storage capacity, helping eliminate combined sewer overflows. The project will benefit 127,000 people, according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Development.

The Village of West Farmington will receive a $394,500 grant to install a septic receiving station that will serve 10,130 people owning property without sewers in many Trumbull County townships, as well as Geauga, Ashtabula, and Portage Counties.

Designed to address the area’s public health issues with more cost-effective disposal, sewage will be pumped into a wastewater station for proper treatment.

Also in Trumbull County, the City of Cortland will receive a $284,105 grant for water facility improvements which includes upgrades to the well field piping and the replacement of the Main Street waterline.

Well-field piping upgrades located on the east side of the city will include installing a replacement conduit from the chlorination building near the water tower, running east along Russell Avenue. This will connect four existing wells to the chlorination building.

The new water main will be installed along Main Street, from N. Mecca Street, running east to N. High Street. The project will benefit 7,100 people.

Approximately 6,400 people in the City of Columbiana and Fairfield Township will receive the benefit of high-quality drinking water thanks to a $1,316,824 grant to construct more than 16,000 feet of water line that will connect the new Crestview Road wellfield to the water treatment plant.

In Mahoning County, a $584,958 grant will go to pay for a waterline replacement project in Lake Milton where 2,935 feet of 6-inch waterline will be replaced to benefit 113 people.

In addition, 12 new gate valves, five new fire hydrants, and 43 services will be installed on the west side.

Improvements to the east side will consist of replacing 3,985 linear feet of 6-inch waterline, 18 new gate valves, and five fire hydrants, and installing 35 services.

Ohio BUILDS grants come from funding designated for broadband, utilities, and infrastructure around the state.

The first three rounds of the program, awarded in 2021, were funded with $250 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Both the previous and current rounds of this award were funded through an additional $250 million in ARPA dollars.