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Commissioners have authorized a settlement agreement reached in a Franklin County Common Pleas Court mandating two mobile home communities to connect to the Darbydale Treatment Center. This litigation will require the connection of approximately 380 trailers to the treatment center.
“This is an important step towards preserving the ecology of the Big Darby,” said Commission President Mary Jo Kilroy. “We will now be able to connect nearly 400 homes to the Darbydale Treatment Center diverting approximately 75,000 gallons of treated and untreated wastewater from the waters of the Darby Creek every day, making the community healthier and safer.”
The Sanitary Engineer, under the Board of Commissioners, will construct facilities to connect the Pleasant Acres and Oak Hill Park communities to the Darbydale Treatment Center with the cost of those facilities to be paid by each of the communities.
“Clean water is something we all want and need,” stated Commissioner Paula Brooks. “This action protects the Darby and our Franklin County children and families.”
In 2002 Franklin County began the Darbydale project to correct serious health and environmental concerns by constructing the sewer collection system and treatment facility in the Darbydale area in Pleasant Township. With the assistance of the Pleasant Township trustees, the Franklin County Board of Health, and several departments under the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the $7.4M dollar facility opened in 2005. The addition of the two mobile home parks, all known pollution entering tributaries leading to the Big Darby Creek will be eliminated.
“We are going to do everything we can to make sure the Darby and other ecological gems in Franklin County are conserved,” noted Commissioner Marilyn Brown. “I want to thank all of the parties who worked in a collaborative fashion to come to this agreement removing two more pockets of pollution from the Darby Watershed. Their hard work allows for Franklin County families to stay in their homes.”
“One of the benefits of working with Franklin County on projects such as this is the County will identify and assist low-income qualified residents thus allowing them to stay in their homes and still benefit from central sanitary sewer service,” said Sanitary Engineer Thomas Shockley.
Over 80 individual homeowners have taken advantage of this program in the Darbydale area. Under the plan the residents have the entire costs of connecting into the sewer deferred until they sell the home or transfer ownership. There is no interest added to the deferred cost which even further assists the low-income population.
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