New Washington County Water Plant Breaks Ground
Todd Baucher Checks In On New Water Plant
A power plant last operated by American Municipal Power, once was owned by Union Carbide, which used it to provide both electricity and service water for a number of plants it owned. The most visible of those plants today is now owned by Eramet. Then AMP-Ohio shut down that plant nearly two years ago, it also ended that power and water source.
"In 2010, we implemented projects which allowed us to no longer need the steam from AMP," says John Willoughby, CEO, Eramet Marietta. "But we still needed the service water, as did the others involved. So it was absolutely essential; we had to have another way to get service water for our facilities."
The five industries have all come together to develop a water service station, under the name of Good River, LLC, to provide that non-drinking water for their operations. and it all began with the effort to get power the amp plant no longer could provide.
"The inability to get steam to this site initially brought the four, now five, businesses together," according to Terry Tamburini, Executive Director, Washington County Port Authority. "They determined it would be best to work together through a public body to access funds."
Groundbreaking for the new water service center was held Tuesday. Construction on the facility is expected to be completed by November.
Most of the industries involved were once under the Union Carbide corporate umbrella. While that hasn't been the case in more than 30 years, they have joined forces to form a new umbrella of sorts: one which has helped them get through a different kind of storm.
