The leader of one of the largest public water utilities in Ohio stood before the people of Utica on Tuesday to explain why Del-Co Water Company is looking for water in northern Licking County.
He had to know it could be a tough crowd after witnessing more than 200 stern-faced people vent about the issue during a July meeting in Utica hosted by the Licking County Farm Bureau.
Yet, Glenn Marzluf came alone, armed with only a brief PowerPoint presentation and the promise that the company would be a good neighbor. If it decides to move in and develop a “utility-scale” well field that could draw up to 6 million gallons of water a day, it will be a good corporate citizen, act with integrity and protect the environment, he said.
And then the general manager and CEO stood there in the Utica High School cafeteria on the evening of Oct. 21 for more than 40 minutes and took one verbal body blow after another from residents.
Among them was John Branstool, who stood up, looked Marzluf in the eye and told him in no uncertain terms, “We don’t want you here!”
“It’s not personal,” Branstool quickly added, but he expressed the same frustration as others in the room who said they are feeling like the development of a well field by the non-profit, member-owned utility based in Delaware County is “a done deal” and that they have little say in the matter.
Marzluf calmly, and often bluntly, responded to each question and accusation thrown at him by many of the approximately 100 people in attendance at the informational meeting hosted by Del-Co to try to address concerns in the community of Utica and Washington Township.
“It’s not a done deal,” Marzluf said. “And you’re right that you don’t have any say in the matter. You can’t decide whether we buy property here.”
He also said, “I know that you want us to go away, but we’re not going away.”
Del-Co has an option to buy about 95 acres south of Utica near the intersection of Ginger Hill Road and Ohio Rt. 13 and along the North Fork of the Licking River. It has drilled several observation wells on the land, and it is preparing very soon to drill a 12-inch (diameter) test well.
After that well is drilled, the company will test it by pumping continuously for 72 hours and watching the nearby observation wells to see how that pumping affects the aquifer. If Del-Co finds that the aquifer can reasonably and sustainably provide between 1 million and 6 million gallons of water a day, Del-Co has said it will exercise its option and buy the land.
Marzluf said that if that happens, it could be years – even a decade or more – before the company develops the well field and begins pumping water. The goal at this point, he said, is to secure water resources for the future.
Residents are concerned that the test and any subsequent pumping could draw down the aquifer to the point that the private wells serving their homes and farms could go dry.
“What happens if your well goes dry because of Del-Co activities?” Marzluf asked. “We would re-drill your well or connect you to our system.”
He said that a Del-Co well field in Licking County would look a lot like one the company developed on 78 acres near Fredericktown more than two decades ago.
“I’m not aware of the dewatering of a single well in the 25 years since it opened,” he said, and then he invited anyone who wants to see the relatively small treatment facility to join him there between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Oct. 25, for donuts and a tour.
The Thomas E. Steward Water Treatment Plant is at 14821 Lucerne Road, eight miles southwest of Fredericktown and about 20 miles northwest of Utica.
Marzluf said in a spirit of transparency, Del-Co will provide test results to the Washington Township Trustees, who can disseminate that to the community. A resident in the room on Tuesday asked for a warning about the dates for the well test so they can watch for any unusual effects on their private wells.
Again, he said he would share that with the trustees.
Trustee Rex Stevenson said after the meeting that those references to the trustees might have left the wrong impression with local residents – that the trustees have some sort of relationship with Marzluf or Del-Co.
“We were mentioned many times, but I’ve never met the man,” Stevenson said, making clear that the trustees do not represent Del-Co or support its exploration for water in their township. “Our mission is to protect the interests of our constituents.”
As Marzluf prepared to wrap up the meeting, he reiterated a point that he had made several times: “We’re not going away.”
To which Branstool replied: “Neither are we.”
Here are some of the key questions raised during the meeting and the answers provided by Marzluf:
Why is Del-Co looking for water in northern Licking County? To address future needs of Del-Co’s customers – primarily residential customers in rural areas.
Which areas would receive this water, if Del-Co establishes a well field in Washington Township? Marzluf said he could only guess, but he suggested that it could go to the rural townships along the southern edge of Knox County and northern edge of Licking County – including Hartford Township and the Hartford Fairgrounds. He said the company does not intend to provide water to Intel or any other industry that uses a lot of water.
Are you looking for water elsewhere, or just here? “Yes, we are looking for source water in many places,” Marzluf said, adding that he routinely watches for properties that are for sale in places where Del-Co has some idea that it could be a water-rich site.
When would you start drawing water from the aquifer? “That’s to be determined. Once it is decided, it will take years to design and construct,” said Marzluf, who added that he does not expect that to happen during his tenure with the company, which he expects will be another decade.
How many homes could be served with 6 million gallons a day? About 12,000 households, Marzluf said.
Many private wells are about 100 feet deep. How deep will the company drill into the earth? “I can’t answer that,” Marzluf said, saying that he is not a “technical guy,” and that others on his team could provide that answer.
Will Del-Co use all of the available water? “Del-Co would use any water resources in a sustainable manner,” Marzluf said.
What happens if my well goes dry because of Del-Co activities? “Del-Co would be responsible to re-drill the well or provide a free connection to a public water supply.”
Is it wise to test the aquifer at the tail-end of a drought – the second in two years? It’s actually a good time to do the test, Marzluf said, because it’s best to know how the aquifer will behave after a period of little rainfall.
Will Del-Co protect the aquifer? “Yes. Del-Co would have a sizable investment and interest in doing so. We have professionals that focus on watershed and source-water protection.”
Are you interested in the Village of Utica’s water system? “Yes. If the village has an interest in a partnership, Del-Co would help,” Marzluf said, adding that Del-Co could buy the village system and operate it or partner with the village in managing the village system.
Will you compete with other water utilities? “No. We partner and cooperate. We will not compete.”
Are developers driving Del-Co’s search for water? No. “Developers don’t have anything to do with this.”
How will you move the water to customers? “Underground pipes. Not trucks.”
If the company starts providing water in the area, will residents be required to connect to water lines running past their homes? No. “One of the tenants of a cooperative is that you join if you choose to. You would not be forced to connect.”
Will that require easements, and if so, how will you get them? Would you use eminent domain to acquire an easement? Marzluf said the company could use eminent domain but never has done so because it has always been able to negotiate with landowners to pay for an easement.
Alan Miller writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.