OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER

1
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCESDIVISION OF
WATER

• DRINKING WATER SUPPLY ALTERNATIVES
• Ohio Land Use Conference 2007
• September 14, 2007

2
PRIVATE WATER SYSTEMS

• Less than 15 connections (25 people)
• Regulated by County Health Depts
• Often the only alternative available
• MOST PRIVATE WATER SYSTEMS ARE INDIVIDUAL
  DOMESTIC WELLS
• Least-cost alternative where feasible
• Drinking water supply for about 15 of Ohioans
  (about 1.7 million people)
• Water softening often desirable

3
PROBLEMS WITH PRIVATE WELLS

• May not provide adequate quantities
• Natural water quality may be undesirable
• There may be contamination
• High density may cause interference between
  wells
• ALTERNATIVES
• Conservation (if quantity is the problem)
• Springs
• Surface Water Collection (Cisterns)
• Hauled Water
• Public Water Supply

4
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY

• Regulated by the Ohio EPA Division of Drinking
  Ground Waters
• Municipalities, counties, regional water sewer
  districts, other special districts have
  statutory authority
• Privately-owned systems are also common
  individuals, non-profit corporations (member
  owned), for- profit corporations (PUCO regulates
  rates)

5
PLANNING FOR PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY

• Provision of public water supply is a
  private/local government responsibility, and
  state-level planning is limited
• Area-wide (multi-county) planning groups have
  traditionally focused on other issues
• Watershed-level planning groups have generally
  not included water supply needs
• Planning tends to be system-by-system
• Overall, Ohios water supply development
  situation is favorable

6
SOURCES OF WATER FOR A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM

• Ground Water
• Surface Water--Lake Erie, Direct Stream
  Withdrawal, On-stream Reservoir, Upground
  Reservoir
• Purchased Water (potable)
• Conjunctive Use
• Conservation of Existing Sources

7
WATER RIGHTS ISSUES

• There is no statutory regulation of withdrawal
• Riparian owners have the right to make a
  reasonable withdrawal of water
• Riparian rights are correlative (the limit of
  each riparian owners right to a make a
  reasonable withdrawal is when it infringes on
  the rights of other riparian owners to
  make reasonable withdrawals)
• The riparian right to a reasonable withdrawal is
  a property right