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May 29, 2025 The Beacon • 15
Ohio EPA awards Franklin Township grant funding
In January 2024 Franklin Township of Coshocton County applied for grant funding to build a water / salt brine system for application to roads as needed to reduce heavy salt runoff into local streams and rivers.
Franklin Township Trustee Larry Boal wrote the grant application with part selection assistance from Brian Winegar of Ace Hardware in Coshocton. In June 2024 Franklin Township was awarded $ 10,170.51 in grant funding by Ohio EPA’ s new H2Ohio Rivers Chloride Reduction Grant Program. This program made available approximately $ 1 million to all 88 counties, 1,308 townships and 931 municipalities in Ohio.
When the award was granted, Trustee Denny Balo agreed to oversee the building of the system for Franklin Township. Balo spent many hours working with Winegar of Ace Hardware to design and secure parts and township employees Terry Bradford and Kevin McVey to create, assemble and test the system. The system works and
Submitted
Township employee Terry Bradford is holding the filler hose that feeds the brine mixture into the 300-gallon tank secured to one of the township’ s pickup trucks.
will be used this coming winter when dealing with icy roads and snowfall.
This funding was used to develop The H2Ohio Rivers Program and is an expansion of Gov. Mike DeWine’ s H2Ohio initiative. Part of the program is to reduce excessive road salt usage and encourage communities and jurisdictions responsible for winter road and surface maintenance to adopt salt best management practices.
Applicants for these grants were able to apply for funding for new salt equipment to help alleviate costs to local governments across Ohio. In May 2024 the Ohio EPA announced 31 communities received $ 1.6 million in funding during the first round, which had over 260 applicants. Franklin Township was the only successful bid applicant from Coshocton County.
Recent water-quality testing has shown Ohio’ s waterways are seeing an increase in salt concentrations, primarily due to the use of road salt. Salt also can cause nutrients and metals to detach from sediment, decreasing water quality.
There are many drinking water facilities across the state that utilize river water for their source of drinking water. Water that is contaminated with road salt requires additional treatment. Additionally, road salt can cause issues with corrosion in pipes, valves and other drinking water equipment. Road salt also corrodes infrastructure like bridges and shortens the life of paved surfaces.
Ohio EPA is excited about Franklin Township’ s commitment to reducing salt in their community and protecting Ohio’ s waterways.
Franklin Township first built a frame using treated lumber purchased from Coshocton Lumber
Submitted Trustee Denny Balo is pictured testing the salt / brine solution.
of Coshocton. This frame holds the 220 volt mixing pump over the 6,000 gallon mixing tank. Rock salt is loaded into the mixing tank and then water. The pump creates circulation, which dissolves the salt and makes salt water brine. The ideal solution is 23.3 % salt concentrate, and periodic testing is done to determine when the solution is near this point.
WE RENT * WE MANUFACTURE We know what it takes! You can’ t beat our affordable pricing!
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