City of Columbiana receives loan to upgrade, replace sewer lift station

The City of Columbiana will soon be seeing upgrades to its current sewer lift station.

The city was given a loan of $1,617,461.04 at 3.50% over 30 years for the construction of a sanitary lift station, 3,330 feet of sanitary sewer and 4,600 feet of force main to allow for the elimination of five smaller lift stations.

The project has an estimated cost of $2,611,820.

According to Columbiana City Manager Lance Willard, these upgrades will increase the city's potential service area by 225 acres, as well as upsize a water line in order to provide better fire protection to the north and better water quality by increasing circulations in nearby water lines.

Willard tells us a new sewer force main will be installed and will replace the old one, which Willard says has frequently failed over the past few years.

Additionally, Willard says the sewers will be installed deep enough to eliminate five other lift stations with the potential to eliminate over 40 failing septic tanks currently outside of the city.

The project includes the elimination of two municipal lift stations and one private lift station by providing the opportunity to gravity feed instead of using lift stations, which can be costly to maintain.