Valley communities awarded state grants to help in process of replacing lead water pipes

Some Mahoning Valley communities will get a combined $537,750 in state grants to take the first step toward removing and replacing lead water pipes.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson on Friday announced about $2.1 million in H2Ohio grant assistance for 48 public water systems to help identify and map lead service lines.

“By helping local communities develop precise maps of lead line locations, we’re another step closer to ridding the entire state of these toxic pipes,” DeWine said in the release.

The 48 lead pipe mapping projects will take place in communities in 31 Ohio counties. Here are the Valley communities that were awarded grants:

MAHONING COUNTY

• AquaOhio — Struthers;
• City of Canfield.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

• Bazetta/Champion;
• Braceville Township;
• Howland Township;
• Mineral Ridge;
• Mosquito Creek;
• City of Newton Falls;
• Warren Township;
• Southeast Water District, which serves Vienna, Brookfield and Hubbard townships.

COLUMBIANA COUNTY

• Village of Leetonia.

Each grant awarded in Mahoning and Trumbull counties is for $50,000. The Village of Leetonia was awarded a $37,750 grant.

“Awarding these grants today is a great way to end Drinking Water Week, which recognizes the vital role water plays in our daily lives and the importance of safe, clean water and lead-free pipes,” Stevenson said in the release.

DeWine initially launched the H2Ohio grant program with $1.4 million in March but increased the total award amount to $2.1 million in response to high demand for lead line identification and mapping assistance, the release states.

The village of Sebring and the city of Hubbard in March were awarded $500,000 and $180,000, respectively, through the H2Ohio initiative.