Speaking

The Cooper Farms poultry processing facility is the largest employer in the Village of St. Henry, Ohio, and accounts for nearly 70% of the Village’s water and wastewater demand. Cooper Farms is proposing to increase operations over the next 15 years, resulting in a total increased demand of up to 200,000 gallons per day (gpd). However, due to a wellfield that is already at capacity and very stringent effluent limits, the village is unable to expand water and wastewater service without extensive and costly infrastructure improvements. Following an alternatives analysis in 2024, an onsite reuse system at Cooper Farms was recommended as a cost-effective and viable solution. The Ohio EPA (OEPA) was supportive of the reuse alternative as a sustainable solution that would not add further demand to a water-stressed area of the state.

While discussing the potential for reuse with Cooper Farms, it became apparent that the treated water must be potable quality. This is due to the potential for contact with the finished meat product, as well as public perception concerns with water reuse in general. Given the lack of reuse regulations in Ohio, the OEPA requested a pilot study to be performed, both to inform the full-scale design and to gather data for future regulations within the state. Design of the pilot system began in June 2025 and is ongoing. Once constructed, it is anticipated to run for 12 months to gather data on each of the proposed unit processes and the treatment train as a whole. Thereafter, it is anticipated that the full-scale design will be completed and constructed.

This presentation will discuss the state of reuse regulations in the United States and dive deeper into the development of reuse regulations in Ohio, including insights from the potable reuse committee of Ohio WateReuse. It will discuss how the proposed treatment train for Cooper Farms was developed to meet anticipated regulations and be protective of human health with regard to chemical and pathogen removal. The onsite system is ambitious in scope in that it is treating raw wastewater to potable standards without the benefits of a wastewater treatment plant or a water treatment plant. As a result, the proposed treatment train includes no fewer than two membrane filtration steps and three unique disinfection steps.

As one of the first real-world applications for potential wastewater reuse to potable water quality in Ohio, this project is an excellent case study to analyze and understand the evolving world of water reuse in Ohio, as well as the regulatory barriers and public perception issues associated with reuse projects.

The City of Akron is facing the need for significant investment in its 100-year-old water plant and watershed to comply with regulations, provide high-quality water and ensure continued effective operations into the future. The water plant faces significant issues such as taste and odors, PFAS, climate change and others that will have an impact on water availability, quality and cost of treatment. The effects of water conservation, declining population, increasing plumbing fixture efficiency and less demand all add up to excess capacity and corresponding higher unit costs to make finished water. Akron has identified nearly $600 million of long-term capital investment needed for its water treatment and distribution facilities to maintain the status quo. In advance of this extraordinary reinvestment, it is prudent to consider alternatives.

This study occurred in two phases, first considering collaboration with the Cleveland Division of Water (CWD). CWD, much like Akron, has experienced declining demand. CWD utilizes Lake Erie for its raw water and is only utilizing about 40% of its treatment capacity, offering plenty of available volume to potentially serve Akron’s current and future needs. However, significant capital improvements would be necessary in the CWD system to ensure continuous transfer of water, adequate water reserves and redundant transmission mains to serve Akron.

In the 1950s, Akron Water pioneer Wendell LaDue foresaw that one day the city might need to reach up to Lake Erie for its abundant, high-quality water supply. The second phase of the study explored this concept to convey Lake Erie raw water to a new treatment facility on city-owned land adjacent to Akron’s LaDue Reservoir. After treatment, the finished water would be pumped to the existing pumping facilities at the Akron Water Treatment Plant. Several variations of this approach were evaluated, including constructing a treatment plant near the Lake Erie shoreline and providing bulk water to users along the transmission route. This ambitious solution could require pumping water over an additional distance of up to 53 miles.

This study set out to start to answer questions like:

• What would it take for the CWD treatment and distribution systems to be able to provide an average day flow to Akron with peak reserve capacity?
• How feasible is it for Akron to obtain high-quality Lake Erie source water for treatment?
• What is the most effective way to route finished water to Akron?
• Would it be better to direct the flow to the existing Akron Water Treatment Plant location and pump into town from there, or would it be better to send finished water directly into Akron’s distribution system?
• How would Akron pay for such massive investment?
• How would the community react to a monumental change to the city’s water supply system?
• Can Akron monetize its expansive watershed property to fund the project?
• What is the impact of previous legal findings and water diversion restrictions?  

This presentation will explore the technical, logistical and potentially significant local, state, federal and international regulatory challenges involved in rerouting the drinking water supply for the City of Akron from the Cleveland Division of Water or routing the raw water supply from Lake Erie. This case study would examine a complex project where a large city, facing significant investment to prepare its water infrastructure for future generations, could possibly leverage an existing neighboring water system and/or a new water supply. The findings underscore the importance of out-of-the-box thinking and adaptive infrastructure planning to ensure reliable water access in the face of massive financial demands.

The Wolf Creek Dam has served the City of Barberton for 98 years, and Salem’s dams have supported their community for over 70 years. Recent dam improvement projects at both dams exemplify how thorough evaluations, innovative inspection techniques and phased improvements can address safety deficiencies while maximizing reservoir operational efficiency. By integrating lessons learned into each step of the process, these efforts not only resolve immediate concerns but also lay the groundwork for resilient infrastructure that will serve communities for generations.

Wolf Creek Dam, a concrete slab and buttress-style dam, was placed into service in 1926 to create the Barberton Reservoir. This reservoir serves as the principal water source for the City of Barberton’s water treatment plant.    

In 2010, B&N initiated a comprehensive analysis of the dam structure. The analyses encompassed global stability assessments and individual structural element analyses to determine if the original dam design integrity aligned with modern standards. Following the book analyses, B&N’s bridge inspectors conducted a field structural condition assessment of the entire structure. The results indicated that the bulk of the structure was in fair condition, with the interior of the spillway receiving a condition rating of poor. A general plan for improvements recommended the repair and conversion of the existing structure into a gravity-style dam. The general plan also identified the need to protect the roadway during a probable maximum flood (~22 times greater than the 100-year flood) in the watershed.

The designed improvements included general repairs to the existing concrete dam, removal of soil above bedrock within the hollow dam structure, filling of the voids with mass concrete to bedrock, rock anchors into bedrock in select bays, road armoring along Summit Road, well line metering and valve additions and other related tasks, with construction planned to begin in 2026.

Salem Dam and two embankment levees create a reservoir that has served as part of the city's drinking water supply since the early 1950s. The presentation will cover three main dam improvement phases: shoreline protection, embankment monitoring and the development of required improvements to meet current dam safety requirements. 

The project included inspection of the dam and two levees. Our dam improvements report recommended improvements to shoreline protection and other miscellaneous repairs. A two-phase project implemented an ODNR-mandated embankment monitoring plan for the levees to determine actual stability and safety factors in the embankments. The monitoring plan will be conducted in the first part of 2026. Phase 3 improvements include increased embankment to flatten downstream slopes for increased stability, new seepage drains on the levees and two seepage drain pump stations. The seepage drain pump stations will discharge water back into the reservoir to maximize water supply availability.   

By sharing the lessons learned and practical strategies from dam management experience, this presentation will offer actionable insights for addressing safety, regulatory and operational challenges. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on process implementation, innovative solutions and funding approaches, including securing grant funding from sources like FEMA, ARC and OPWC. Barberton obtained a FEMA High Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) planning and design grant via ODNR. Ohio EMA assisted the city in gaining a 90% FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grant for the design and construction of the improvements. Salem obtained an Appalachian Regional Commission grant for Phase 1 and is in the pipeline for a FEMA HHPD planning and design grant.