ONTARIO — Ontario may be able to save money by building its own wastewater treatment plant, rather than continuing a 30-year contract with the City of Mansfield.

A recent cost analysis by the Poggemeyer Design Group of Bowling Green found Ontario could save between $305,602 and $841,241 per year by 2026.

It appears Ontario would pay $2.4 million to $2.6 million per year with its own wastewater treatment plant, while it would pay $2.9 million to $3.3 million per year for Mansfield to continue providing its service.

“From the numbers we are looking at, it’s an expensive endeavor, but as we send all our wastewater to Mansfield, our rates continually increase. So, as those costs increase, the idea becomes more appealing,” said Ken Earhart, at-large council member in Ontario and chair of the council utilities committee.

“We’re going to get to a point, where it’ll be better to have our own rather than continue to with Mansfield. And we’re pretty close to that point,” Earhart said.

On Jan. 1, Ontario’s rates for wastewater treatment service through Mansfield rose by 10 percent. That increase will be incrementally passed onto residents in 2019. And in 2018, rates increased by 18 percent. 

“We really need to control our own destiny,” said 3rd Ward Councilman Mark Weidemyre, who has consistently voiced support for the construction of the city’s own wastewater treatment plant.

However, the idea of building a wastewater treatment is still in its “infant stages,” according to Service-Safety Director Jeff Wilson.

“We haven’t even begun to get into permitting and plant design,” Wilson said.

Further, council hasn’t approved the project or settled on a location. 

“We don’t know where we are going to put it yet. No location is set yet,” Wilson said. “Three locations were in the proposal, but until we get through the next hoop with council… until they say, ‘yes, we are moving forward,’ that’s when we’ll start considering that further.” 

The option recommended by the Poggemeyer Design Group would cost a total of $38.5 million, according to the presentation. The cost is based on an oxidation ditch as the treatment process at $31.2 million, a plant located at one of three proposed sites at an estimated $6.8 million for the estimated sanitary sewer improvements and other miscellaneous costs. The city hopes to cover the expense with grants and other financing.

Another treatment process option is a sequence batch reactor (SBR), costing approximately $32.6 million, which is more expensive than the oxidation ditch treatment. Sanitary improvements at the most affordable site would cost $6 million and would be $12 million at the most expensive.

The type of treatment process and the site locations are two separate considerations. The most expensive option would be to use an SBR at the $12 million site. The least expensive would be to use an oxidation ditch at the $6 million site. 

Wilson called two of the site options “feasible.”

Earhart said he hopes council will reach a decision as to whether or not they’ll build the plant within the next year. 

For now, he said, the committee is moving forward by gathering more information, including contacts at other municipalities that have worked with the Poggemeyer Design Group. 

Weidemyre said now is the best time to keep “pushing forward.” 

“It’s always a concern when you’re spending that kind of money, but we’ve done the math, and we’ve done our homework. We’ve got to think about the future,” Weidemyre said.