Brown Announces $250,000 for Wastewater Treatment Improvements in Scioto County
Project will Provide Service to the Village of Otway for the First Time
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) approved $250,000 for the Village of Otway to develop a sewer collection system and build a wastewater treatment plant. Otway currently has no sewer system and many of the community’s septic and wastewater disposal systems are out of date, allowing untreated wastewater to leach into local waterways. This project, which has also received state and local funding, will provide new service to 51 households and 11 businesses.
“Strong water and sewer infrastructure is critical to Ohio communities’ ability to be economically competitive,” Brown said. “This funding will help attract jobs and businesses to the area, while improving access to safe and clean water for Otway residents. I will continue to advocate for resources that ease the burden on Ohio’s local governments so Ohioans in small and rural communities have equal access to clean water.”
Brown is working to help Ohio communities struggling to afford costly but necessary renovations to sewer systems. In April, he reintroduced the Clean Water Affordability Act to help communities make renovations to outdated sewer systems, while improving water quality and keeping rates affordable for residents and small business.
Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In 2014, he was part of the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee that successfully negotiated a five-year farm bill that had been stalled for more than three years. Brown supported a strong Rural Development title in the 2014 Farm Bill to encourage economic development in rural communities.
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