National Drinking Water Database
Ohio
1,297 systems serving 10,103,190 people
This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Ohio, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency- Division of Drinking and Ground Waters. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.
Chemicals |
Water Utilities |
Population Served |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Detected Chemicals | 80 |
1,297 |
10,088,792 |
Exceed health guidelines* | 45 |
1,230 |
10,061,358 |
Exceed Legal Limits* | 24 |
398 |
5,238,095 |
Unregulated chemicals detected | 12 |
54 |
1,820,144 |
| * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance. | |||
45 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits
Contaminants detected in Ohio drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities
| Contaminant | Population |
Number of Systems |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Any Level | Above Health Limits | At Any Level | Above Health Limits | |
| Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) | 9,972,773 | 9,972,173 | 1,084 | 1,083 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 10,025,008 | 9,767,672 | 1,143 | 829 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 9,674,302 | 9,674,302 | 852 | 852 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 9,453,723 | 9,451,462 | 843 | 838 |
| Dichloroacetic acid | 9,307,690 | 9,307,690 | 686 | 686 |
| Chloroform | 9,709,701 | 8,630,789 | 860 | 497 |
| Bromoform | 8,088,690 | 8,088,690 | 611 | 611 |
| Atrazine | 4,459,090 | 2,905,651 | 80 | 71 |
| Arsenic (total) | 2,698,921 | 2,698,921 | 287 | 287 |
| Radium-228 | 2,065,159 | 2,065,159 | 162 | 162 |
Water Utilities in Ohio Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines
Water utilities in Ohio reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:
| System | Population |
Chemicals tested |
Chemicals found |
Chemicals exceeding health guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio-American Water Co-Beechcrest Pws | 1,375 | 61 | 23 | 14 |
| Village of Lakemore | 2,865 | 92 | 19 | 13 |
| City of Cortland | 6,830 | 90 | 19 | 12 |
| City of Sidney | 20,211 | 128 | 20 | 12 |
| Ohio American Water Co-Tiffin District | 18,135 | 94 | 24 | 12 |
| Village of New Holland | 870 | 53 | 18 | 12 |
| Wright-Patterson Afb Area A/C Pws | 11,791 | 116 | 18 | 12 |
| Cleveland Division of Water | 1,500,000 | 58 | 27 | 12 |
| Maplewood Park | 450 | 52 | 16 | 11 |
| Village of Gibsonburg | 2,600 | 49 | 17 | 11 |
| Lakengren Water Authorit | 2,400 | 86 | 17 | 11 |
| Oh/Am Water Company-Mari | 48,000 | 97 | 24 | 11 |
| Village of Mcclure | 850 | 70 | 16 | 11 |
| Washington Court House Pws | 13,892 | 69 | 20 | 11 |
| City of Urbana | 11,353 | 105 | 16 | 11 |
| Minster Water Treatment Plant | 2,650 | 88 | 15 | 11 |
| City of Upper Sandusky | 6,600 | 84 | 20 | 10 |
| City of Wooster | 26,000 | 49 | 20 | 10 |
| Village of Shiloh | 792 | 52 | 18 | 10 |
| Ottawa Water Treatment Plant | 4,196 | 96 | 19 | 10 |
Sources of Ohio Drinking Water Contaminants
The contaminants identified in Ohio drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.
Testing Summary for Ohio
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
| Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Ohio | 155 | |
| Contaminants tested due to federal law: | 98 | |
| Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: | 57 | |
Violation Summary for Ohio
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Ohio since 2004
| Violation Type | Number of Violations |
|---|---|
| Failure to monitor regularly | 2,497 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Average | 664 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) | 524 |
| Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule | 364 |
| Inadequate reporting of information to the public | 217 |
| Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report | 182 |
| Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling | 143 |
| Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 137 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) | 125 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 107 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) | 41 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) | 37 |
| Filter Turbidity Reporting | 37 |
| Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU | 32 |
| Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination) | 28 |
| Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | 22 |
| Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU | 20 |
| Public Education | 10 |
| Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper | 8 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 7 |
| Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting | 6 |
| Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Study Recommendation | 4 |
| Failure to Filter (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 3 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample | 2 |
| Water Quality Program Entry Point Non-Compliance | 1 |
| Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations | 1 |
| Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Installation/Demonstration | 1 |