EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio (WKBN) — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that East Liverpool has not complied with issues it found during its last sanitary survey conducted in March 2022.
The agency said that a survey was performed on the public water system over three days in March 2022 and that the city was notified in April, July and August 2022 that it had 30 days to respond and 120 days to take corrective action, but the city failed to do any of that.
Ohio EPA sent a letter to East Liverpool Mayor Robert Smith dated January 14 saying that the city is in violation of “treatment technique” requirements for a “significant deficiency” and that the city failed to complete necessary water treatment plant upgrades to repair the filter basin walls, replace the filter media, and inspect and repair the settling basins.
Ohio EPA added that East Liverpool failed to make improvements to the distribution system to reduce the unaccounted-for water and failed to implement a backflow prevention program as required.
The agency wants immediate action in the form of a letter to water system customers within 30 days about the violations and publicly post the notice. The city also has to address the deficiencies the agency found and submit a correction plan or face an administrative or civil penalty.
Water Superintendent Paul McCarthy said Thursday that the previous administration was notified by the Ohio EPA Northeast District Office in 2022 that the sedimentation basin top cap concrete was crumbling, filter media needed replaced and filter Clearwells needed to be sealed with approved coating.
“None of these correction steps have been taken under the scheduled timeline,” McCarthy said. “When the Board of Public Utilities was put back in place, increases in water rates were addressed to help fund the projects for the city’s aging infrastructure. The Board will decide at the next scheduled meeting on Feb. 20 to proceed with the upgrades.”
McCarthy said a company has been contacted to look over the scope of the work to be done and if the Board approves a signed contract, the project will proceed in the summer of 2025.
“At no time has the water department’s water quality been affected,” McCarthy said. “The WTP meets or exceeds all state and federal regulations.”
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