In an effort to curb high water rates that some residents are facing in Trumbull County, leaders in the latter are weighing its options, that included regionalization.

Currently the city of Niles purchases water in bulk directly from the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which it then sells to other communities as well as the county, at a marked up rate. 

City leaders in Niles say that mark-up, helps to covers the cost of owning and maintaining its distribution system, plus keep rates affordable for its residents. 

"We have negotiated agreements with Trumbull County, with Lordstown, with the city of Girard as does the city of Youngstown with their outside entities, and those are long term agreements that were just updated two years ago," said Niles mayor Steve Mientkiewicz.

The county as well as some communities that get their water from Niles, but have their own distribution system, sell to other communities. A resale model that's seen high rates for some end users in places like Liberty Township.

Liberty Township Trustee Greg Cizmar says residents there receive water one of three ways: Through Youngstown, the county, or Girard. Each entity along the line can mark up the water they sell to the next community. Cizmar says he would like to see reasonable rates.

"What they do with that water and who they supply to on the back end, that's up to them," Mientkiewicz added.

Talks of regionalized system through the county came up during a recent sanitary district advisory board meeting amid some communities seeing high rates.

Trumbull County Commissioner Tony Bernard was at that meeting and tells 21 News they need to sit down with interested parties and get all the necessary information and community involvement before any decisions are to be made.

Meanwhile Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez says the advisory board was put together to oversee operations at the sanitary district, not to talk about regionalization. Hernandez says regionalization likely isn't possible due to the cost of purchasing the water district, and infrastructure needed to make it happen.

However, both county commissioners want to see rates that are reasonable and stable.

"You can't say you want a regional rate when you don't have any skin in the game," said Mayor Mientkiewicz, who isn't opposed to a regionalized rate, but tells 21 News the county isn't set up for it.

Furthermore, the city's leader reiterated the responsibility to be a supplier to its own residents, and nearby communities.

"When you look at the comparable rates from the MVSD to its partners in Youngstown and in Niles, we have the cheapest rates in the valley, and we pride ourselves on that, with also making millions of dollars of improvements to our individual systems. And when you don't do that, your infrastructure begins to crumble. You begin receiving notices of violations from the EPA, and in some cases, you're going to be forced to either regionalize or sell your water distribution system.", said Mientkiewicz.