{ "type": "water", "pwsid": "OH0701212", "name": "Martins Ferry Public Water System", "county": "Belmont", "population": 6980, "producer": true, "source_class": "groundwater", "label": "Ohio River valley aquifer (wells)", "bodies": [ "Ohio River (via alluvial aquifer)" ], "intakes": [], "wells": 8, "aquifer": "Shallow alluvial aquifer along the Ohio River", "notes": "8 wells located between the Ohio River and SR-7 in Martins Ferry, drawing from a shallow (~30 ft) high-susceptibility alluvial aquifer fed by the Ohio River.", "urls": [ "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/", "https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2021/10/martins-ferry-plant-strives-to-provide-clean-safe-water/" ], "chain": [ "OH0701212" ], "plants": [], "facts": { "hist": [ [ "1997", "The current water treatment plant was completed, described by the city at the time as the most advanced facility of its kind in the region." ], [ "not dated", "Neighboring Bridgeport, drawing from the same Ohio River alluvial aquifer, discontinued its own wells after PFAS was found and switched to buying finished water from Martins Ferry; Bridgeport's 2025…" ], [ "2021", "A Times Leader profile reported the plant fully in compliance, with Ohio EPA testing then finding no PFAS in the eight wells." ], [ "2025", "The city's 2025 CCR reports PFOA detected in finished water at 6.1 and 5.6 ng/L under UCMR 5 monitoring -- above the 4.0 ng/L federal MCL for PFOA -- and a monitoring and reporting violation for…" ] ], "treat": "Groundwater from eight wells at the north end of First Street, between the Ohio River and State Route 7, drawing a shallow alluvial aquifer roughly 30 feet below ground. Treatment uses a traveling bridge filter and ozonation -- ozone generated from oxygen and high-voltage electricity -- followed by…", "press": "Not published. Neither the 2025 CCR, the city's water department page, nor the utility policy document states a distribution system pressure.", "rate": { "g": null, "n": "No rate schedule is published online. The city's water department and utility office pages give only fees, not volumetric rates: water tap fees start at $1,500 (assessed by the…", "m": null }, "imp": [ [ "PFOA", "6.1", "ng/L", "4.0 (federal…", "2025", "Sampled 5/14/2025 under UCMR 5; a second sample on 11/12/2025 measured 5.6 ng/L. Both exceed the 4.0 ng/L MCL, whose…" ], [ "PFOA", "5.6", "ng/L", "4.0 (federal…", "2025", "Second 2025 UCMR 5 sample, 11/12/2025." ], [ "Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)", "13.8", "ug/L", "80", "2025", "Range 8.82-13.8 ug/L; no violation." ], [ "Haloacetic acids (HAA5)", "8.82", "ug/L", "60", "2025", "Range 7.07-8.82 ug/L; no violation." ], [ "Fluoride", "1.083", "ppm", "4", "2025", "Range 1.0-1.2 ppm." ], [ "Total chlorine", "0.88", "ppm", "4 (MRDL)", "2025", "Range 0.81-0.96 ppm." ], [ "Nitrate", "<0.100", "ppm", "10", "2025", "Not detected above the reporting limit." ], [ "Bromate", "<0.008", "ppb", "10", "2025", "Not detected; monitored because the plant ozonates." ], [ "Lead", "1.80", "ppb (90th…", "15 (action…", "2025", "The CCR reports no violation, but its lead-and-copper table also states '1 out of 20 samples were found to have lead…" ], [ "Copper", "0.183", "ppm (90th…", "1.3 (action…", "2025", "Zero of 20 samples above the action level." ] ], "proj": [], "plan": [ [ "Combined sewer separation program", null, "", "planned", "The city's sewer department page describes an Ohio EPA-mandated plan to separate the combined storm and wastewater collection system, which currently causes…" ] ], "stress": "The eight wells sit in a shallow alluvial aquifer roughly 30 feet down, directly between the Ohio River and SR 7. Ohio EPA's source water assessment rates it high susceptibility because there is no protective clay or shale layer over the aquifer, the aquifer is shallow, and businesses sit inside the protection area boundaries. That…", "sew": { "s": "Wastewater is treated by the East Ohio Regional Wastewater Authority (EORWA), a separate entity from the city that treats flows collected from several communities including Martins Ferry; residents receive a separate bill from EORWA for treatment. The city operates the collection system. Sewer tap fee is $2,000. Plant capacity and…", "st": "Martins Ferry still operates combined sewer lines, which the city says cause sewer backups and breaks during heavy rainfall, and is working under an Ohio EPA mandate to separate the combined storm and wastewater collection system." }, "fun": [ "The plant's ozone system -- oxygen plus high-voltage electricity -- is demonstrated to visitors with a jar of raw water next to a jar of ozone-treated water.", "Crews test water daily at 35 points throughout the distribution system.", "The city markets raw or treated water to shale gas operations as a 'competitively priced, consistent, local water supply,' separate from its regular retail service; water tap fees start at $1,500.", "Bridgeport abandoned its own PFAS-contaminated wells and now buys Martins Ferry water, so Martins Ferry's aquifer supplies two Ohio River towns; the two systems also keep an emergency interconnection, unused in 2025." ], "src": { "history": [ "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/", "https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2021/10/martins-ferry-plant-strives-to-provide-clean-safe-water/", "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/martins-ferry-ccr-2025.pdf", "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bridgeport-ccr-2025.pdf" ], "treatment": [ "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/", "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/martins-ferry-ccr-2025.pdf", "https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2021/10/martins-ferry-plant-strives-to-provide-clean-safe-water/" ], "pressure": [ "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/martins-ferry-ccr-2025.pdf", "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/" ], "rates": [ "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/", "https://martinsferry.org/services/utility-office/", "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/utility_policy_2024.pdf", "https://martinsferry.org/services/sewer-department/" ], "impurities": [ "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/martins-ferry-ccr-2025.pdf", "https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2021/10/martins-ferry-plant-strives-to-provide-clean-safe-water/" ], "planned": [ "https://martinsferry.org/services/sewer-department/", "https://martinsferry.org/2024/02/02/limited-environmental-review-and-finding-of-no-significant-impact/" ], "water_stress": [ "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/martins-ferry-ccr-2025.pdf", "https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2021/10/martins-ferry-plant-strives-to-provide-clean-safe-water/" ], "sewer": [ "https://martinsferry.org/services/sewer-department/" ], "fun_facts": [ "https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2021/10/martins-ferry-plant-strives-to-provide-clean-safe-water/", "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/", "https://martinsferry.org/services/water-department/fracking-water/", "https://martinsferry.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bridgeport-ccr-2025.pdf" ] } }, "zips_served": [ { "zip": "43935", "share": 0.7904, "dominant": true }, { "zip": "43912", "share": 0.0244, "dominant": false } ], "photo": { "url": "/photos/OH0701212.jpg", "caption": "Fourth Street looking southwest from Hanover Street in Martins Ferry, Ohio", "credit": "Nyttend", "license": "Public domain" }, "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/water/OH0701212/", "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/water/OH0701212.json", "generated": "2026-09-16", "license": "CC BY 4.0 for the compilation; each source keeps its own terms", "cite": "Cracked Buckeye (Open Shower Co), \"Martins Ferry Public Water System · OH0701212\", https://crackedbuckeye.com/water/OH0701212/, built 2026-09-16, accessed [date].", "schema": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/schema.json" }