{ "type": "water", "pwsid": "OH3901111", "name": "Norwalk City", "county": "Huron", "population": 17466, "producer": true, "source_class": "river", "label": "Huron River / East Branch Huron River (via Upper, Memorial, and Lower Reservoirs)", "bodies": [ "Huron River", "East Branch Huron River", "Upper Reservoir", "Memorial Reservoir", "Lower Reservoir" ], "intakes": [ "Huron River", "Memorial Reservoir", "Reservoir", "Reservoir Spillway", "E Branch Huron River" ], "wells": 0, "aquifer": "", "notes": "Norwalk's own intakes and reservoirs are all within the Huron River watershed, consistent with SDWIS surface-water designation.", "urls": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huron_River_(Ohio)" ], "chain": [ "OH3901111" ], "plants": [ { "n": "Norwalk City Water Treatment Plant", "a": "Norwalk, Huron County, OH (exact plant street address not verified; reservoirs lie along the East Branch Huron River…", "la": 41.2431, "lo": -82.6154, "pt": "approximate", "wb": "Huron River / East Branch Huron River (Upper, Memorial, and Lower Reservoirs)", "src": "East Branch Huron River water impounded in a chain of three city reservoirs (Upper, Memorial, Lower) plus a direct Huron River intake, supplying the treatment plant", "cls": "river", "in": [ { "n": "East Branch Huron River intake", "wb": "East Branch Huron River", "role": "primary", "src": "River pump station on the East Branch Huron River near the site of the city's original 1871 water plant, pumping river flow into the reservoir chain", "la": 41.2431, "lo": -82.6154, "pt": "approximate" }, { "n": "Upper Reservoir", "wb": "East Branch Huron River (impounded)", "role": "storage", "src": "First (uppermost) of three in-line city reservoirs along the East Branch Huron River south of town; its spillway is an overflow structure, not a withdrawal point", "la": 41.2431, "lo": -82.6154, "pt": "approximate" }, { "n": "Memorial Reservoir intake", "wb": "East Branch Huron River (impounded)", "role": "primary", "src": "Middle and largest reservoir in the chain (built 1954, 54.2-ft dam, ~2,022 acre-ft capacity); its raw-water intake is the main supply point for the plant", "la": 41.2431, "lo": -82.6154, "pt": "approximate" }, { "n": "Lower Reservoir intakes (1 and 2)", "wb": "East Branch Huron River (impounded)", "role": "secondary", "src": "Downstream-most reservoir in the chain, in service since 1898 with an adjacent pump station; has two intake structures (Intake 1 and Intake 2) drawing to the plant", "la": 41.2431, "lo": -82.6154, "pt": "approximate" } ] } ], "facts": { "hist": [ [ "1871", "First water plant built on the East Branch of the Huron River near the current river pump station, at a time when fewer than 20 towns in Ohio had municipal water systems." ], [ "1896", "After roughly six years of debate, construction begins on the Upper and Lower reservoirs and an adjacent pump station; the site was chosen partly for its abundant springs. The reservoirs were…" ], [ "1898", "First water pumped from Lower Reservoir with no additional treatment; a tall standpipe is erected next to the pump station to improve pressure." ], [ "1924", "Norwalk begins chlorinating its water at the urging of the Ohio Department of Health." ], [ "1927", "Water filtration plant, at Old State Road and Woodlawn Avenue, put into service and still the plant building in use." ], [ "1952", "750,000-gallon water tower built near Maple and Chestnut streets, replacing the tower at the plant; high service pumps installed to feed it." ] ], "treat": "The plant draws surface water directly from an intake in Lower Reservoir, immediately next to the treatment plant at Old State Road and Woodlawn Avenue (Water Treatment Department, 201 Woodlawn Avenue). Upper, Memorial and Lower Reservoirs form a three-reservoir system holding nearly 700 million…", "press": "No psi figure is published. The city states that two water towers maintain system pressure and supply: a 750,000-gallon tower built in 1952 near Maple and Chestnut streets and a…", "rate": { "g": 9, "n": "Inside city limits: minimum charge $4.50/month for 1,000 gallons or less, then $0.90 per 100 gallons, which is $9.00 per 1,000 gallons. Outside city limits is exactly double…", "m": 31.5 }, "imp": [ [ "Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)", "59.6 (range of…", "ppb", "MCL 80", "2025", "Locational running average; no violation, but individual detections ran above the 80 ppb MCL and this is the…" ], [ "Haloacetic acids (HAA5)", "35.5 (range…", "ppb", "MCL 60", "2025", "Locational running average; no violation." ], [ "Total chlorine", "1.57 (range…", "ppm", "MRDL 4", "2025", "Residual disinfectant." ], [ "Total organic carbon", "1.45 (range -1…", "removal…", "treatment…", "2025", "Value is the ratio of TOC actually removed to TOC required to be removed; above 1.0 means compliance." ], [ "Turbidity", "0.26 highest…", "NTU", "treatment…", "2025", "Filtration performance indicator." ], [ "Fluoride", "0.94 (range…", "ppm", "MCL 4", "2025", "No violation." ], [ "Barium", "0.019 (range…", "ppm", "MCL 2", "2025", "No violation." ], [ "Nitrate", "0.8", "ppm", "MCL 10", "2025", "The CCR prints a level found of 0.8 ppm alongside a detection range of 0.12-0.57 ppm, which is internally inconsistent…" ], [ "Lead", "0 (90th…", "ppb", "AL 15", "2025", "0 of 30 samples above the 15 ppb action level." ], [ "Copper", "0.2 (90th…", "ppm", "AL 1.3", "2025", "0 of 30 samples above the 1.3 ppm action level." ] ], "proj": [ [ "Water plant rebuild and expansion", null, "1992", "completed", "Raised plant capacity from 2.85 to 4.0 MGD. No cost figure is published by the city." ], [ "Northern Ohio Rural Water interconnection", null, "2010", "completed", "Supplemental supply connection now used roughly 355 days a year. No cost published." ], [ "Source Water Protection Plan for the Norwalk Creek watershed", null, "2025", "completed", "Developed with the Ohio Rural Water Association and Ohio EPA and endorsed by Ohio EPA in 2025; calls for the city to work with watershed property owners to…" ] ], "plan": [], "stress": "Norwalk's own supply depends entirely on a small, roughly 8-square-mile Norwalk Creek watershed feeding three shallow reservoirs, and the city already covers the gap by buying supplemental water from Northern Ohio Rural Water on about 355 days a year. During drought it also pumps from the East Branch of the Huron River into Memorial…", "sew": { "s": "The City of Norwalk operates its own wastewater treatment plant at 201 Plank Road, designed for an average flow of 3.5 million gallons per day with a peak of 8.2 MGD; actual 2024 average daily flow was 2.45 MGD. Flow reaches the plant through two 24-inch interceptor sewers. Treated effluent discharges to the west branch of Rattlesnake…", "st": "Norwalk has COMBINED sewers, not separate ones: the city publishes combined sewer overflow (CSO) explainers, annual CSO reports and event notifications, with 25 separate four-hour CSO events and matching seven-day notifications logged for 2024 alone. A…" }, "fun": [ "Norwalk's municipal water system dates to 1871, when fewer than 20 towns in the entire state of Ohio had one.", "The reservoirs were nicknamed Laning's Lakes after the city councilman who spent six years pushing the project through before construction began in 1896.", "In 1969 the Lower Reservoir dam failed after nine inches of rain fell on Norwalk in nine hours.", "Norwalk buys supplemental water almost every day of the year: over 54 million gallons came through the Northern Ohio Rural Water connection on 350 days in 2025, and the city says that connection is used about 355 days a…", "The 1927 filtration plant building is still the working water plant, upgraded rather than replaced." ], "src": { "history": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/water-time-line.pdf", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/water-treatment", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/Water-Quality-Report-2025.pdf" ], "treatment": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/Water-Quality-Report-2025.pdf", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/water-treatment", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/water-time-line.pdf" ], "pressure": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/water-treatment", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/water-time-line.pdf" ], "rates": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/utility-billing", "https://norwalkreflector.com/news/301317/norwalk-water-and-sewer-increase-rates/" ], "impurities": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/Water-Quality-Report-2025.pdf" ], "projects": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/water-time-line.pdf", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/Water-Quality-Report-2025.pdf" ], "water_stress": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/Water-Quality-Report-2025.pdf", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/water-treatment" ], "sewer": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/wastewater-treatment", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/utility-billing" ], "fun_facts": [ "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/water-time-line.pdf", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/s/Water-Quality-Report-2025.pdf", "https://www.norwalkoh.com/water-treatment" ] } }, "zips_served": [ { "zip": "44857", "share": 0.7299, "dominant": true } ], "photo": { "url": "/photos/OH3901111.jpg", "caption": "Huron County Courthouse and downtown Norwalk, Ohio, near the Huron River sources", "credit": "Finetooth", "license": "CC BY-SA 3.0" }, "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/water/OH3901111/", "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/water/OH3901111.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), \"Norwalk City · OH3901111\", https://crackedbuckeye.com/water/OH3901111/, built 2026-09-16, accessed [date].", "schema": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/schema.json" }