Bill seeks to fund $16M Kelleys Island sewer system

KELLEYS ISLAND — A U.S. House committee approved a water resources bill that includes $16 million to provide Kelleys Island with a sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. If the project goes forward, it would move businesses and homes on the island away from using septic tank systems, said U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, who worked to get the Kelleys Island provision included in the House version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. The measure has been OK'd by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Getting the Kelleys Island sewer system enacted into law isn't a done deal yet, however. The U.S. Senate's version of the bill does not include the project. It's possible that the fate of the project will wind up in a House-Senate conference committee, which would write the final version of the water resources bill. Kaptur told the Register that passage of the bill by a House committee is an "important step forward, however, it remains far from becoming law." "It's too early in the legislative process to predict its ultimate fate. It is among a dozen provisions included in the House bill but not in the Senate's version of the legislation," Kaptur said. She continued: "I'm hopeful the Senate will recognize its value and agree to include it during negotiations that would occur later this year. I will certainly be making the case for its inclusion when we reach that step in the process." If Kaptur succeeds in her efforts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would be authorized to pursue the project, working with the Village of Kelleys Island. The Corps would be tasked with both designing and building the new sewer system. Project years in the making The mayor of Kelleys Island, Ron Ehrbar, said he has been trying to get a sewer system for the island for years. Ehrbar remarked he has been mayor for eight years and it was one of his priorities when he took office. Getting a sewer system would be a big win for reducing the pollution of Lake Erie, Ehrbar said. The village recently began a short-term rental program that included inspections of septic tank systems. "I was told better than 50% of the current septic systems failed inspections," Ehrbar said. The village has hired a firm to start design work for such a system, aided by $2.25 million of capital funds the village was able to get from the state, Ehrbar said. In addition to working with Kaptur to obtain federal funding, the village has been exploring possible funding from the Ohio EPA, he said. More projects planned The proposed Kelleys Island project is only one of several projects to benefit Kaptur's 9th District that are included in the House version of the water resources bill. The House bill also includes a provision to give the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "streamlined authority" to work with local governments and nonprofits to find ways to reuse soil dredged from Ohio harbors. The soil would be used for shoreline protection, habitat restoration and other useful projects. That provision is aimed at dealing with a problem that has at times held up dredging in Sandusky's harbor: Finding a place for the dredged soil from the lake bottom. The House measure also would raise the federal funding cap for Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration projects from $10 million to $20 million. Kaptur's office explained that change would allow a $14.4 million local project to move forward: Installing a seasonal grass carp barrier in Fremont in Sandusky County to keep grass carp from spawning on the river.