LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — The city of Maumee is suing Lucas County for $1,045,622.91 to pay for sanitary outflow charges from the Lucas County Recreation Property, according to a lawsuit filed in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas Thursday.
The city said the invoices are from flow monitors at the property that showed an excessive amount of water being discharged between August 2021 and December 2022. The water then travels to the Maumee River Wastewater Plant in Waterville, which is owned by Lucas County.
Maumee Mayor Rich Carr said the meters used to determine the volume being discharged from the recreation center are "state of the art" and gave accurate readings, hence the million-dollar lawsuit.
But Pete Gerken, president of the Board of Lucas County Commissioners, said the county questions the numbers and thought discussions between both parties were "on the right path."
"Without notice, we were dealt this lawsuit this afternoon. Our attorneys will review and we will determine a response," Gerken said. "We will pay what we owe, but we question these abnormal numbers."
Carr said if the county believes the meters used to gauge the numbers are the same, but more modern, meters used by the Lucas County Sewer District to bill Maumee for all sewage in the city to be treated, the county would owe the city several million dollars more than what Maumee is asking for in its lawsuit.
The county voted Tuesday to spend nearly $200,000 to repair sanitary sewer lines at the site. The work is expected to start in February.
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