Grant to protect pump station awarded to contractor

$3.4 million will be used to create 600-foot breakwall along shoreline

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Buffalo District has awarded a $3.4 million contract to Eastlake-based Huffman Equipment Rental, Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge Township, recently announced.

The company will use the grant to create a 600-foot breakwall along the Lake Erie shoreline that will protect the Lake County Raw

Water Pump Station.

The project is being conducted under the Corps of Engineers’ Continuing Authority Program, Beach Restoration and Shoreline Protection.

Lake County Sanitary Engineer Randy Rothisberger confirmed the bluff, faced with strong ice and wave action, has been eroding about a foot or two every two years.

“It’s getting closer and closer and we got concerned about that,” he said.

The pump station, just

north of Bacon Road in Painesville Township, provides about 40,000 Lake County residents with clean drinking water.

Joyce said he was proud to support the critical infrastructure project and push for the necessary funds to get it across the finish line.

“This contract demonstrates the ability for federal and local agencies to come together and accomplish important work that will benefit our communities in Northeast Ohio that depend on the Raw Water Pump Station for their drinking water. I appreciate the Army Corps for working with me to get this project done.”

Rothlisberger’s predecessor, Al Saari, who retired from the Lake County Department of Utilities in 2015, believed the erosion issue would require additional assistance, and reached out to the Army Corps, 10-plus years ago, for coastal protection funding.

“We knew it was going to be a long process but it’s great to see it come to fruition,” Rothlisberger said. “Rep. Joyce really helped us, and I know it was a priority for him.”

Two-thirds of the project, which Rothlisberger anticipates beginning in May or June, will be paid for by the Army Corps.

“The agency designed it and will supervise and inspect the progress of the project,” he said. “They’re already out there mobilizing, and all the permits, including the EPA and ODNR are set. A lot of things are being put together.”

The project, once started, is expected to be complete in 8 to 10 months.

“It is a critical time for investing in our nation’s infrastructure,” said Lt. Col. Jason Toth, Buffalo District Commander. “It is important to note that the Corps of Engineers’ civil works program touches the lives of almost every American and is a vital part of the national fabric.”