ELYRIA — Lorain County and partner agencies are moving forward with plans to form the Central Lake Erie Regional Water Reclamation District, called Clearwater, under Ohio Revised Code 6119. The proposal would regionalize wastewater treatment at the Avon Lake plant and handle major conveyance at a wholesale level, while local providers continue retail billing to residents.
Attorney Lou McMahon presented the update during today’s Lorain County Commissioners meeting, which began today at 3:30 p.m. He said the petition and plan of operation are ready for public review, with a joint public hearing planned after the partners officially become petitioners. After public comments are collected, the group expects to file in early November for a court decision on creating the district.
What Clearwater would do
• Lease the Avon Lake treatment plant and contract with Avon Lake to operate it, with no job losses expected at the facility.
• Assume plant-related debt, purchase LORCO’s transmission and pump assets, and assume that debt, creating a single wholesale entity for treatment and regional conveyance.
• Maintain uniform treatment rates within the district and conduct regional master planning for future sewer needs.
• Remain wholesale only, not retail. Customers would still receive bills from their current local provider. Clearwater would not handle drinking water or stormwater unless separately approved by the court in the future.
Why this matters for Vermilion
City leaders have been weighing costly plant upgrades to meet federal requirements. Clearwater presents a potential alternative by allowing communities to connect to a larger regional system designed to optimize existing infrastructure, improve water quality, and prepare for tighter environmental rules, while keeping treatment rates aligned with Avon Lake’s existing projections.
Separate from the west side project
McMahon emphasized that Clearwater is a parallel effort to the county’s west side wastewater expansion supported by the $67.4 million Ohio Future Fund award. That grant advances west side infrastructure, while Clearwater focuses on the east side service area built around the Avon Lake facility.
Public process and next steps
• Partner resolutions to become petitioners.
• A joint public hearing with at least two weeks’ notice, targeted for mid-October.
• Filing the petition in early November, followed by a court hearing to determine whether to establish the district.
Documents, financials, and FAQs will be posted for public comment as the process opens, and residents are encouraged to participate and ask questions.
For more on the west side project, see our related coverage:
“Vermilion Council Hears Update on Megasite and Wastewater Future”
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