Water district opts to join regional commission

The board of trustees of the Northwestern Water and Sewer District has adopted a resolution approving the Uniform Water Purchase and Supply Agreement with the City of Toledo.
The measure passed unanimously by the seven board members in attendance.
“After years of discussion, studying multiple options, the district’s board feels this contract is the most agreeable to our members for a long-term, fair rate,” said board chairman, Mark Sheffer. “Toledo’s current administration has made an effort to improve trust by making the district and partnering suburbs a part of the Toledo Regional Water Commission,” Sheffer added.
The district’s current contract with Toledo expires in 2024.
The district purchases water from Toledo to supply about 6,500 residential and commercial customers in Northwood, Rossford, Walbridge, Lake Township, Troy Township and Perrysburg Township.
The district also contracts with the City of Oregon to supply customers in parts of Lake Township and Northwood and with the cities of Bowling Green, Fostoria and Perrysburg to service other customers in the district.
Voters in Toledo in November 2018 approved a ballot issue creating a Regional Water Commission, which would include utility directors from each member community. The commission’s board will include one member from each suburban community and two from Toledo.
The commission will review annual capital improvement budgets for the Toledo water system and can submit amendments it deems necessary to the city for consideration by city council.
Rex Huffman, an attorney who represented the water and sewer district in discussions with Toledo, recently updated member townships and municipalities on how the talks were progressing.
He told the Lake Township trustees that Toledo’s excess water capacity was one argument for joining the regional commission. He said the excess capacity would be an advantage for the township in attracting potential industrial users.
Other options the water and sewer district was considering include expanding service with Bowling Green and possibly purchasing water from an aquifer in Williams County.
For decades the district has been studying forming a regional water system with other communities that contract with Toledo, including the cities of Sylvania, Perrysburg, Maumee, Fulton and Lucas counties and southern Monroe County, said Jerry Greiner, president of the district.
The district has also recently participated in public meetings to keep members aware of how the options could impact them.
“Because we serve multiple communities with Toledo water, we wanted to be sure they had a good understanding of our options and of this agreement,” Greiner said.