The Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced recently the state will award $114 million in grant awards to support 70 critical water infrastructure projects in 58 counties. Included are grants of $5 million for the Village of Oak Harbor and $836,660 for the Village of Put-in-Bay.

The grants are part of the fourth round of the Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) water infrastructure program.

Oak Harbor will receive a $5 million grant for a waterline replacement project along State Route 163. The current waterline was constructed in 1939, is past its useful life, and experiences high water loss and numerous breaks annually.

The outdated line is the only line serving Oak Harbor. The project will benefit 2,759 people.

Put-In-Bay will receive a $836,660 grant to replace residential septic systems with sanitary sewers along East Point Boulevard and Ibis Street. Due to past finding of fecal contamination in groundwater at South Bass Island, the replacement of existing septic systems is necessary. The village will install 890 linear feet of lines and pumps for 21 properties.

Additional Put-in-Bay project activities include installation of 1,435 linear feet of sanitary main line and 175 linear feet of service pipe as well as associated pavement and resurfacing. The project will benefit 72 people.