Wadsworth wastewater project awarded for $2.31 million as sewer rates rise

Wadsworth has awarded a $2,309,991 project to replace the primary digester cover at the city’s wastewater treatment plant as residents absorb an 8.5% general sewer-rate increase adopted for 2026.

The work is intended to replace aging equipment and address compliance issues involving the plant’s biogas flare. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026 and continue through the end of September 2027.

What the project will replace

The project centers on the plant’s primary digester, which uses a cover to contain and manage biogas produced during wastewater treatment. Ohio EPA documents describe the existing cover as aged and malfunctioning and identify a floating ballast-type cover as the selected replacement.

The associated work also includes bringing the biogas flare into compliance. The project is focused on maintaining and improving existing treatment operations rather than expanding the plant’s capacity.

Contractor and financing

City bid records identify North Bay Construction as the selected contractor. The city’s bid results list the awarded amount at $2,309,991, including project allowances.

Wadsworth plans to use Ohio’s Water Pollution Control Loan Fund to help finance the work. Sewer user charges are also part of the broader financing picture for the city’s wastewater system.

The project amount should be understood as the awarded bid total, not necessarily a final audited cost. The city and Ohio EPA documents describe the project as a planned construction effort that has not yet been completed.

What sewer customers should know

The immediate household-cost context is the 8.5% general sewer-rate increase adopted for 2026. Ohio EPA’s project review cites an average annual residential sewer bill of about $401.

The rate increase should not be described as being solely for the digester-cover replacement. It provides broader revenue for sewer-system financing and operations, while the wastewater project is being supported through a combination of state-backed loan financing and sewer user charges.

Timeline and site impacts

The work is planned within the existing wastewater treatment plant property. Ohio EPA found that the project is not expected to create significant environmental effects, and the improvements are not expected to increase wastewater-treatment capacity.

For Wadsworth sewer customers, the practical takeaway is that a major repair to existing treatment equipment is moving toward construction while higher sewer rates are already in effect. The expected timeline runs from summer 2026 through September 2027, so residents should expect the project to remain an active utility-system investment for more than a year.

Sources

• Ohio EPA project review
• Wadsworth bid posting