City of Circleville Department of Public Utilities recently released its annual report on the quality of our drinking water.
“I am a resident of Circleville and I drink the water myself,” said Brian Frost, Circleville Utilities Manager “I live here as we are residents of this town. I have grandkids that live here also so I have a vested interest in protecting our own families.”
The Ohio EPA (OEPA) requires that all municipal water systems be tested annually and the water quality test results be provided to the consumers.
Online version of this story contains a link to the Consumer Confidence Report for 2023.
The test results showed that the Circleville Water Plant produces water that is at or better than all state and federal Environmental Protection Agency quality standards.
For safety and prevention purposes, the OEPA studied the Circleville Water Plant’s source of water. Their goal was to provide guidance on protecting this drinking water source, which is from four groundwater wells located at the Water Treatment Plant. These wells are supplied by water from an aquifer that covers a large area. The good news is that there is no current problem with these four wells.
However, the EPA did express concern that the aquifer “has a high susceptibility to contamination.”
The following reasons for this concern were:
the minimal thickness of the clay protective layer above the aquifer;the shallow depth of the aquifer, being just 15 feet below the surface; andthe presence of significant potential contamination sources with the aquifer’s require protection area
The report said this susceptibility to contamination, while not currently a problem, means that under currently existing conditions, the likelihood of the aquifer from being contaminated is “relatively high.”
Frost said the potential for any problem can be minimized by implementing appropriate safety measures.
Frost, who oversees both the Water Treatment Plant and the Waste Water Treatment Plant, explained the problem with our aquifer having a high susceptibility to contamination.
“That has always been a problem with the Teays Aquifer, even when the plant was opened 60 years ago,” he said. “Our plant is not the only one with this problem. There are many water plants in Ohio that use the Teays Aquifer. It is huge. But I’m glad to have this ground water as our water source. Cities like Cincinnati who use surface water — they pull their water directive from the Ohio River — do not get the benefit of the filtration that the ground above the aquifer provides.”
Talk of the aquifer led to a discussion of PFOA and PFOS, contaminants that are in our environment that come from all of the plastic that is used.
“It is not a problem right now, but the EPA is conducting research,” Frost said. “The cities that use surface water will have to address the problem first.”
Another problem with drinking water is that lead can rise to elevated levels in older homes. If you are concerned about lead being in your home water, you can have your water tested by a laboratory certified by the OEPA.
The list can be found at http://www.epa.ohio.gov.ddagw or by calling 614-644-2752.
The report also stated that the Department of Utilities would soon start its annual flushing program.
This flushing program usually reduces any instances of discolored water that some consumers may have experienced.
Circleville’s Water Treatment Plant was built in 1962, upgraded in 1983, expanded in 1990, and upgraded again in 2012. In 2015, the City of Circleville completed a water system backup connection with the Earnhart Hill Water system for emergency use only. There was no need for any backup reserves in 2023.
Frost said the City of Circleville received a $2.662 million grant for the design of an improvement to its water plant that will allow for microfiltration to solve the problem. Frost went on to explain that microfiltration would also soften Circleville water, reducing the hardness count from 400-500 grains to 129-160 range.
“We have been proactive on this problem, and I think that helped us win the grant,” he said. “Our engineering consulting firm, Strand, helped us find and obtain the grant. Our participation in the grant program was approved by City Council on August 1, 2023. It is called a Water Supply Revolving Loan Account, We get reimbursed for the costs of building this improvement. We will be ready for microfiltration before it becomes a serious problem.”
Frost also praised the dedication of his supervisors and plant employees. He said Circleville’s water system is poised to handle the city’s current and future economic growth.
“Our current water usage is about 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD),” he said. “We have a capacity of 4 MGD, so we will be able to handle any future needs.”
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