The Lake County commissioners recently adopted a resolution authorizing $4,950,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for a revetment project at the Bacon Road Water Treatment Facility in Painesville Township.
According to officials, the work covered by the grant will include the installation of 900 linear feet of new armor stone revetment at a slope along the existing bluff east of McKinley Creek, with grading to provide a more stable angle.
Two bid project alternates would extend the construction of the revetment approximately 300 feet of armor stone further to the west of the McKinley pump station, in addition to western segment grading at the site.
Lake County Sanitary Engineer Randy Rothlisberger noted that the project is “very important” and is an unexpected expense.
“About 10 years ago, we finished the revetment in front of our Bacon Road pump station….the raw water pump station,” he said. “Since that time, the shoreline to the west has started to erode and is compromising the pipe that runs from the station to the water plant.”
Rothlisberger added that the Lake County Department of Utilities worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct an armor stone revetment along approximately 643 linear feet of shore at the eastern end of the Bacon Road Water Treatment Facility in 2019, noting roughly 1,200 linear feet of shore at the west end of the facility remains unprotected from lake-based erosion.
“So, the purpose of this project is to construct long-term erosion protection for the western portion of the facility shoreline,” he said.
With bids set to begin by Aug. 28, Rothlisberger estimates the project to be completed by mid-April.
Addressing the board, Lake County Administrator Jason Boyd said the county is nearing the conclusion of its “available ARPA funding,” an allotment totaling $44 million, and, as a result, the Bacon Road project is one of the last to be so funded.
Required to submit ARPA treasury expense reports quarterly, Boyd detailed that the county does have “some projects” pending approval, with the possibility of obligating funds to other endeavors, if needed.