Rep. Emilia Sykes submits Peninsula's request for sewage system grant
Peninsula's plan to build sanitary sewer collection and wastewater treatment facilities has been submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration of a $5 million federal grant.
U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, submitted the grant as one of 15 community projects for fiscal year 2026 in the 13th District.
The estimated cost of the sewer collection and treatment system is around $10 million.
Peninsula, which is in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, has been working with Summit County officials since 2021 to develop a centralized system, according to a news release from Sykes' office.
"The project … will provide the critical infrastructure necessary for the health of the Cuyahoga River and the continued vibrancy of the CVNP," the release stated. "Without this project, harmful discharges will continue to pose serious environmental and health concerns for residents and visitors alike, and the village that serves as the gateway to CVNP will likely be forced to close its businesses."
Many of the 15 projects, including Peninsula's, were from the fiscal year 2025 request, according to the release. The village sought as much as $3 million. However, these projects were not included in the continuing resolution passed in March and were resubmitted.
The Summit County Department of Sanitary Sewer Services and the design team for the Peninsula Environmental Sustainability Project said that Summit County Public Health and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that there were elevated levels of E. coli being discharged from individual sewage treatment systems in the village into the Cuyahoga River.
However, funding a solution is challenging because of Peninsula's small size and limited tax base.
"The OEPA has been trying to find a solution for the village for decades due to failing septic system/private plant discharges impacting the Cuyahoga River," said Michael Vinay, director of county Sanitary Sewer Services.
Summit County has set aside $7.5 million of local funds and has obtained a $500,000 grant from the state, from H2Ohio funds, according to Summit County DSSS and the design team for the Peninsula Environmental Sustainability Project. In addition, the county has been pursuing additional resources to close the funding gap.
"We will explore additional grant opportunities, including Ohio Public Works Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority, and H2Ohio," Vinay said about what would happen if the federal grant is not approved.
"Our goal continues to be to break ground in 2026," he said. "If further grant funds are unavailable, the balance of funding may be through property assessments or seeking a long-term state revolving loan. However, as stated, our hope is fully funding the project with grants and additional resources. We are at 90% design and, therefore, will develop a new opinion of probable construction cost, which may reveal an increase in the overall project cost estimate."
By: April Helms
Source: Akron Beacon Journal