A Community Without Adequate Water Infrastructure Is No Community at All: The History of GCSED!
A Community Without Adequate Water Infrastructure Is No Community at All: The History of GCSED!
They say it is hard to know where you are going if you do not know where you’ve been. This is the case with many situations in life including regional water and sewer districts like Greene County Sanitary Engineering Department (GCSED). GCSED has been and continues to be in constant evolution. With a number of different arrangements and services offerings spread out all across this vast county, GCSED continues to focus on the future while keeping that past close at hand. GCSED is a relatively ‘young’ system when compared to other regional districts with most of the community developments occurring over the past 40 to 50 years. The following piece highlights the history and evolution of GCSED.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” –?Benjamin Franklin
GCSED’s story traces back to the late 1950s when the local Health Department issued an Order to the Greene County Commissioners aimed at correcting malfunctioning septic tanks throughout Greene County. The Commissioners consolidated various sewer districts into the Greater Greene Little Miami Sewer District in 1960 and GCSED was consequentially formed in 1964. Sewers were installed throughout Beavercreek and the Beavercreek Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) was brought online in 1965. Discussions on a central water system began in the mid-1960s. These discussions continued across the next decade or so as cost estimates were gathered and public debates commenced.
The 1970s brought many new developments that included ‘plat water systems,’ which were eventually turned over to GCSED to manage and operate. At one point, there were six separate water systems serving select areas, one of which is still in operation today on Shakertown Road (Beavercreek). Throughout the decade, more and more residents were experiencing water problems with wells going dry or failing. In 1977, the Commissioners directed GCSED to build a regional water system in Beavercreek Township for those residents that “needed and wanted it”. Segments of the public voiced concerns over household rate impacts and the promotion of regional growth that comes with public water access. In 1979, the Northwest Regional Water Treatment Plant (WTP) came online and was designed for a limited population and no consideration of irrigation capacity.
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During the next two decades, the region grew rapidly, including the desire for irrigation capacity, requiring a series of expansions and upgrades at the WTP. The water system continued to grow as well which presented challenges to deliver adequate flow and volume to longer reaches across the system. In the 2000s, the search for additional source water (wells) became a priority after suffering water shortages in the summer months. Irrigation bans were put into place in 2007 due to a lack of capacity. Additional wells and plant improvements were brought online in 2008 that alleviated the immediate system capacity concerns.?
Other major milestones at GCSED included the onboarding of the Sugarcreek WRRF (near Spring Valley) in 1976 that serves Sugarcreek Township, the City of Bellbrook, and areas in Montgomery County, the Clifton WRRF start-up in 1992, the incorporation of the Village of Cedarville water, sewer, and treatment facilities across the mid-1990s, the installation of the Shawnee Lake (Jamestown) sewage system, the construction of the Southwest Regional Water Treatment Plant (Spring Valley Township) in the mid-2000s, and the connection of the Eastern Regional water system in 2018.
Over the past 58 years, GCSED has evolved into a complex water and sewer system that serves over 25,000 customers, provides over 2 billion gallons of drinking water per year, collects and treats in excess of 5 billion gallons of wastewater per year, and recycles over 11,000 tons via our Environmental Service Division. Our Greene Forward (www.greeneforward.com) campaign is aimed at reinforcing adequate service capacity and delivery for the next 20 to 25 years!?