Bridgeport approves updated terms of water purchase agreement with Purple City

T-L Photo/JOSIE BURKHART Bridgeport Village Council holds a special meeting Tuesday evening to approve a resolution that updated terms of its water purchase agreement with the city of Martins Ferry.
BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Village Council held a special meeting Tuesday evening to approve the updated terms of its water purchase agreement with the city of Martins Ferry, which includes a rate hike.
It was a short meeting at Bridgeport, but council members David Holmes, Robert Bennington, Joseph Lyle, Doris Dunkle, Michelle Lucarelli and Ben Lenz approved Resolution 2025-01 after declaring it an emergency and suspending the rules that require three public readings of proposed legislation. The resolution approved and adopted the updated terms of the water purchase agreement between the two municipalities.
In July 2020, the village was forced to shut down its water source after the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency discovered that two of five of its wells tested positive for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In 2021, the village completed the waterline connection between the two communities and signed an agreement to purchase water from the city.
According to The Belmont County Water & Sewer District, the source of Martins Ferry drinking water is groundwater received from eight wells located at the north end of First Street in the city, between the Ohio River and Ohio 7. That was an area of concern last spring, when Ohio River flooding encroached on the Austin Master Services frack waste processing facility there. Austin Master is the subject of court action by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who said it was storing more hazardous, and in some cases radioactive, waste than it was permitted to handle. The flood did infiltrate the building, and cleanup of the facility is now underway.
The Village of Bridgeport also has an emergency connection with the Belmont County Water System.
The reason for the special meeting was for Bridgeport to adopt new, higher rates set by Martins Ferry. Teasdale said council has to prove it is aware of the rate increase by making the resolution effective immediately since the increase will appear on next month’s billing.
Martins Ferry seeks to increase the rate in Section B-1 of the agreement from $3.50 per 1,000 gallons to $3.75 per 1,000 gallons for all water usage.
Bridgeport Village Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at the municipal building.