The Allen County Sanitary Engineering Department is split into two divisions, the Wastewater Treatment Division (WWTD) and the Wastewater Collection Maintenance Division (WWCMD), with the main office of the Sanitary Engineer coordinating the day to day operations.

The WWTD is responsible for the maintenance and operations of all wastewater treatment plants and the operations of the sludge management program. The WWTD operates three major treatment plants located in Bath, Shawnee and American Townships and three smaller package treatment plants located in Bath and Richland Townships.

The WWCMD is responsible for the maintenance and operation of approximately 170 miles of sewer lines and 46 sewage lift stations located within American, Bath and Shawnee Townships.

Service

The County Sanitary Engineer derives authority through the Ohio Revised Code Section 6117. The code allows boards of County Commissioners to establish Sanitary Engineering departments for the purpose of preserving and promoting the public health and welfare. The Sanitary Engineer is responsible for the enforcement of all rules and regulations established by the Board of County Commissioners for the construction, maintenance, protection and use of sewers and sewer improvements in the county, including the establishment and use of connections of systems.

Ohio Revised Code Section 6103 allows the Board of County Commissioners to acquire, construct, maintain and operate any public water supply or water works system within its county for any sewer district. The county has installed approximately 50 miles of public waterlines within the county that have been made a part of the City of Lima water grid system.

History

On December 31, 1925 the Board of County Commissioners, Allen County, Ohio hired a sanitary engineer, established a county sewer district, passed rules and regulations governing the installation and use of sanitary sewers and water. The department was formed to oversee the installation of sewer and water lines within two new subdivisions in Allen County. This was the start of urban Allen County. The board issued general obligation bonds to fund the water and sewer lines. Within a couple of years, the subdivisions went into bankruptcy, the bonds went default and the Commissioners disbanded the department.

On May 16, 1966 the Board hired another sanitary engineer and formed the Allen County Sanitary Engineering Department. The new department had the responsibility to oversee the operation and maintenance of nine sewer sub-districts located within the surrounding townships. Each sub-district had a "packaged wastewater treatment plant" that had been constructed by developers in accordance with requirements of the department.

Nearly a year later on May 8, 1967, the Board created the Allen County Sewer District. This allowed the Board to control all sanitary sewer and wastewater treatment construction. From 1967 through 1968 contracts were given to construct sanitary sewer collectors and treatment facilities to centralize treatment at three different locations within the county. The centralization would eliminate the "packaged treatment facilities." The three facilities constructed were: the American Bath WWTP; the Shawnee #2 WWTP; and the American #2 WWTP. The three facilities were constructed as temporary facilities. The plan was for all sewage in the county to be eventually tied into the City of Lima System. To date, the trend is to continue expansion of the three facilities and use them as permanent facilities.

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