T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Daniel and Diana Tarleton and daughter Danette Gramatiaos, all of St. Clairsville, were among the attendants of a rally Wednesday in opposition to water and wastewater privatization.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The opposition to proposed water and wastewater privatization in town came to the front of the Belmont County courthouse Wednesday evening.

More than 40 area residents and some city leaders attended, and two men from the Youngstown area came to speak. Youngstown is not managed by Aqua Ohio, and they speakers wished for the community to retain local control. They advise St. Clairsville residents to opposed a sale.

The city council is currently reviewing a bid from Aqua Ohio for the state-regulated entity to purchase and upgrade the aging water and wastewater system. Attorneys are negotiating and a draft could be placed before the council in September.

St. Clairsville Safety and Service Director Jim Zucal has said upgrades would run into the millions and in order to compete for scarce grants and loans, the water and sewer rates would have to at least double.

According to the proposed bid, the rate increase from 2020 to 2026 would be a total $4.13, with increments of $1, $1.67, 71 cents and 75 cents. After 2026 there would be an increase of up to 9.9 percent, with increases of 3.75 percent for 2027, 2028, and 2029.

During Wednesday’s rally, John Williams of the Youngstown area, a member of the Buckeye Environmental Network, and the Rev. Randy Youngkin of Youngstown, from St. John’s Episcopal Church, were the lead speakers.

“They’re a major corporation and they’re out to take advantage of you,” Youngkin said. “It is their obligation, by law, to generate profit as a corporation. They’ll do it however they have to.”

He advised those in attendance to form a grassroots organization opposed to privatization.

“If you’ve got Aqua Ohio breathing down your necks, you’ve got to do something. You can’t let this happen,” Williams said. “They’re trying to buy whatever everywhere they can. They’re looking at little communities like this that are struggling to keep their water systems alive. About 70 years ago your parents and great-grandparents sacrificed to build the water system that you have. … (Aqua Ohio is) going to tell you they will not raise your rates for five years, … what about the 65 after?”

Williams said agencies like the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio could regulate rate increases, but he said Aqua Ohio must still make a profit.

“How are they going to make a profit? By cutting corners,” he said. “Your water may well come within the range of the Ohio EPA, it will be legal to serve it to you, but the quality won’t be there.”

Williams did not have a specific example.

Williams said the decision should be placed before the voters on a ballot.

“You won’t have control over that natural resource,” Youngkin said, adding that he believed water industries work with the fracking industry. “If they choose to do something that’s against the environment … they can do it, and you can’t stop them.”

Brewster Mardin of St. Clairsville, one of the two citizens who accompanied city officials on a fact-finding tour of three communities served by Aqua Ohio, said he has concerns that the private company would not take on the expense of replacing the aging waterlines in a timely manner.

“They have to turn a profit. They’re going to inch this water replacement along, probably no faster than the city could do it,” he said. “That’s my main concern.”

Drew Barbour of St. Clairsville said he believed city leaders have been overspending on other, less necessary projects instead of the water and wastewater system. He said the city could try for state grants and hold fundraising efforts and attempt to renovate the system a block at a time. Bill Brooks, an organizer of the opposition, said the city was focused on growth rather than maintaining the city.

Two St. Clairsville council members, Mike Smith and Beth Oprisch, attended the rally. Oprisch said she was listening to the concerns of the residents and had unanswered questions about the proposal from Aqua Ohio.

“I agree we need to slow this thing down and listen to what people have to say, and get some more facts in,” Smith said.

Earlier in the week during a council meeting, Councilman Perry Basile had also voiced a desire to slow the process, to allow the city to explore other options.

St. Clairsville residents Daniel and Diana Tarleton oppose the loss of local control.

“Once they get a hold of us, we don’t know what they’ll do,” Diana Tarleton said. They agree that the water is in poor condition.

“It’s going to be hard on people that’s on a fixed income,” her husband said. “Either way, it should stay right where it is.”

Frank Papini of St. Clairsville said he believed Zucal was overstepping his authority.

“This is wrong, what they’re trying to do to us,” he said. “We need to have control of our own water…It’s a private entity and it’s going to be a private entity. I know we’re going to have to pay for an increase. We’ve got an antiquated system, w e know that, but let us decide.”

“Do you really trust some company coming in that’s nothing but a bottom-line corporation with your water?” Kathy Wood of St. Clairsville said.