NEW CASTLE —
Ellport Mayor Joe Cisco believes the Ellwood City police will find out who damaged the borough’s wastewater treatment plant.
Cisco estimated about $70,000 worth of vandalism was done to the 3-year-old sewage treatment plant over the weekend.
“We’re assessing damages and meeting with our insurance company right now,” he said, adding that damages could be higher than currently anticipated.
The mayor said someone broke into the treatment plant between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Once inside they tossed a wheelbarrow and other items into holding tanks, he said. The wheelbarrow landed on chains within the tank, which caused the chains to snap and the wheelbarrow to sink.
“We’ve drained the pond, cleaned it, and removed the foreign objects,” the mayor said.
The vandalism did not hurt the plant’s operation, Cisco said. With the main tank incapacitated, other tanks were put into use.
“I don’t know if anything was thrown into them, but they are still functioning,” he said.
The mayor added that this is the first time anyone has vandalized the treatment plant, and he is at a loss to understand why anyone would do such a thing.
Also damaged that night were facilities in nearby Rodgers Park, which Cisco said were minor by comparison.
“They pulled up signs, dumped over garbage cans, damaged tables and broke the lights in one of the shelters,” he said. “That damage is not nearly as bad. We’re focusing right now on the sewage plant.”
He said he is confident that the Ellwood City police will resolve the crime.
“They’re a good bunch of guys,” he said. “They know their stuff.”
Lt. David Kingston of the Ellwood City police estimated the vandalism happened between 1 and 3:30 a.m. Sunday
“That is the time the computer registered a problem,” he said.
(Email: nlowry@ncnewsonline.com)
Updates
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