{
  "type": "water",
  "pwsid": "OH8100611",
  "name": "Van Wert City",
  "county": "Van Wert",
  "population": 10846,
  "producer": true,
  "source_class": "reservoir",
  "label": "Town Creek via two impounding reservoirs",
  "bodies": [
    "Town Creek",
    "Reservoir 1 North",
    "Reservoir 2/3 South"
  ],
  "intakes": [
    "Town Creek",
    "Reservoir"
  ],
  "wells": 0,
  "aquifer": "",
  "notes": "Van Wert pumps from Town Creek into two on-site reservoirs (combined ~1.01 billion gal capacity) which supply the treatment plant; no groundwater use despite 0 wells matching SDWIS SW code.",
  "urls": [
    "https://vanwert.org/water-treatment/"
  ],
  "chain": [
    "OH8100611"
  ],
  "plants": [
    {
      "n": "Van Wert Water Treatment Plant",
      "la": 40.841,
      "lo": -84.578,
      "pt": "plant",
      "wb": "Town Creek",
      "src": "Town Creek via two impounding reservoirs",
      "cls": "reservoir",
      "in": [
        {
          "n": "Town Creek Intake 1",
          "wb": "Town Creek",
          "role": "recharge",
          "src": "One of two pumping stations east of the reservoirs that lift Town Creek water into Reservoir 1 when stream flow is sufficient",
          "la": 40.841,
          "lo": -84.578,
          "pt": "approximate"
        },
        {
          "n": "Town Creek Intake 2",
          "wb": "Town Creek",
          "role": "recharge",
          "src": "Second Town Creek pumping station (of eight pumps total, capable of 48.96 MGD combined) filling Reservoir 2/3",
          "la": 40.841,
          "lo": -84.578,
          "pt": "approximate"
        },
        {
          "n": "Reservoir 1 (North)",
          "wb": "Town Creek storage reservoir",
          "role": "storage",
          "src": "Northern off-stream impounding reservoir holding Town Creek water pumped in via Intake 1; part of a combined 1.01-billion-gallon storage system",
          "la": 40.8409,
          "lo": -84.5741,
          "pt": "approximate"
        },
        {
          "n": "Reservoir 2/3 (South)",
          "wb": "Town Creek storage reservoir",
          "role": "storage",
          "src": "Southern impounding reservoir(s) holding pumped Town Creek water that supply the treatment plant's actual raw-water intake",
          "la": 40.8409,
          "lo": -84.5741,
          "pt": "approximate",
          "sh": 100
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "facts": {
    "hist": [
      [
        "1891",
        "Van Wert Water Department began supplying drinking water to the city, drawing from Town Creek — the same source it uses today."
      ],
      [
        "2013",
        "In February the plant began feeding a filter aid into the treatment train to cut turbidity passing through the sand filters."
      ],
      [
        "2023",
        "Ohio EPA placed Van Wert under Findings and Orders after total trihalomethanes exceeded the 80 ppb standard for four consecutive quarters; the city retained Veolia North America and issued MCL…"
      ],
      [
        "2023",
        "Council approved a 10% water-only rate increase (sewer unchanged), worth about $1.80 a month on a minimum bill."
      ],
      [
        "2024",
        "On March 22 the city distributed a Tier 3 monitoring violation notice: no raw-water cyanobacteria screening sample was collected during the 6/25/23-7/8/23 period."
      ],
      [
        "2025",
        "A second 10% water rate increase took effect March 1, driven by the THM problem, an ODNR-mandated reservoir inundation study, and inflation; it was expected to raise about $230,000 a year."
      ]
    ],
    "treat": "Town Creek water is pumped into two on-site impounding reservoirs, then treated at the city plant: potassium permanganate for taste and odor, lime and ferric chloride coagulation/sedimentation in clarifiers (with lime softening as a side benefit), fluoride and carbon dioxide for pH stabilization…",
    "press": "No system-wide psi figure is published. The distribution system runs on pumps at the plant feeding about 70 miles of water main, with two elevated towers (400,000 and 500,000…",
    "rate": {
      "g": 8.32,
      "n": "2026 in-town monthly schedule: water minimum $14.04 covers 0-227 cubic feet, then $62.23 per 1,000 cf for the next 5,773 cf, declining through four blocks to $27.01 per 1,000 cf…",
      "m": 31.03
    },
    "imp": [
      [
        "Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)",
        "82",
        "ppb",
        "80 (MCL…",
        "2025",
        "MCL VIOLATION. Public notice distributed June 13, 2025 for the 2nd-quarter 2025 monitoring period; the city blamed an…"
      ],
      [
        "Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)",
        "94.25",
        "ppb",
        "80 (MCL)",
        "2023",
        "MCL VIOLATION in 1Q, 2Q and 3Q 2023; range 27.4-99.8 ppb. Four-quarter averages ran 0.081-0.094 mg/L across sampling…"
      ],
      [
        "Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)",
        "29.80",
        "ppb",
        "60 (MCL)",
        "2023",
        "Range 13.6-32.5 ppb; no violation."
      ],
      [
        "Lead (90th percentile)",
        "1.5",
        "ppb",
        "15 (action…",
        "2023",
        "0 of 31 samples above the action level; lead detected in 5 of 31 sites, range <0.6-7.2 ppb."
      ],
      [
        "Copper (90th percentile)",
        "0.171",
        "ppm",
        "1.3 (action…",
        "2023",
        "0 of 31 samples above the action level; range 0.010-0.216 ppm."
      ],
      [
        "Nitrate",
        "2.42",
        "ppm",
        "10 (MCL)",
        "2023",
        "Maximum; range 0.22-2.42 ppm. Fertilizer runoff and natural deposits."
      ],
      [
        "Fluoride",
        "1.13",
        "ppm",
        "4 (MCL)",
        "2023",
        "Maximum; range 0.86-1.13 ppm. Added at the plant."
      ],
      [
        "Atrazine",
        "0.36",
        "ppb",
        "3 (MCL)",
        "2023",
        "Runoff from row-crop herbicide — a real signal for a farmland surface-water supply, but well under the limit."
      ],
      [
        "Arsenic",
        "0.9",
        "ppb",
        "10 (MCL)",
        "2023",
        "Erosion of natural deposits."
      ],
      [
        "Turbidity",
        "0.66",
        "NTU",
        "0.30 in 95% of…",
        "2023",
        "Highest single reading, in September; 98.3% of samples met the standard in the worst month, so no violation. Annual…"
      ]
    ],
    "proj": [
      [
        "Water tower mixers",
        null,
        "2026",
        "completed",
        "Mixers installed in the elevated tanks to cut water age; the city reports improved chlorine residual stability across the distribution system. Cost not…"
      ]
    ],
    "plan": [
      [
        "TTHM reduction project — sluice gate replacement on the reservoir structures",
        2100000,
        "2026",
        "planned",
        "Ohio EPA approved the plan in 2026; council passed an ordinance in July 2026 letting the safety-service director seek bids and award contracts. Work expected…"
      ],
      [
        "Reservoir dam inundation study",
        50000,
        "2023",
        "planned",
        "Mandated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; projected to exceed $50,000. Models breach scenarios and the resulting impact on infrastructure and…"
      ]
    ],
    "stress": "Van Wert is a small surface-water supply with real storage behind it. The two impounding reservoirs hold about 1.01 billion gallons — the city puts that at roughly 21 months of theoretical supply, or 15-16 months once the unusable bottom two feet and evaporation are subtracted. Refill depends entirely on Town Creek: two pump stations…",
    "sew": {
      "s": "The city runs its own wastewater treatment plant and collection system. Ohio EPA NPDES permit 2PD00006 identifies the works at 7998 S.R. 127 N. discharging to Town Creek at river mile 13.87; design flow and any CSO status were not confirmed from sources read for this entry. Sewer is billed monthly on the same bill as water: $13.11…",
      "st": "Not published in any source reviewed."
    },
    "fun": [
      "Van Wert has taken its drinking water from the same stream, Town Creek, since 1891 — the water department is older than the automobile.",
      "The two reservoirs hold about 1.01 billion gallons, roughly 21 months of supply on paper and 15-16 months in practice once you subtract the bottom two feet and evaporation.",
      "Two pump stations east of the reservoirs can move 48.96 million gallons a day with all eight pumps running — but they only run when Town Creek is high enough, which was 172 days in 2023.",
      "Town Creek's recorded annual flow since 1951 has swung from 180 million to 1.26 billion gallons, a seven-fold range the reservoirs exist to absorb.",
      "Potassium permanganate is the first chemical added, purely to knock out bad taste and odor before coagulation begins."
    ],
    "src": {
      "history": [
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Van-Wert-Water-Quality-Report-2023.pdf",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2023/08/30/city-still-dealing-with-tthm-water-issues/",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2023/11/14/city-council-hears-about-water-rate-increase-shutoff-policy/",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2025/01/26/van-wert-city-council-to-address-various-agenda-items/"
      ],
      "treatment": [
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Van-Wert-Water-Quality-Report-2023.pdf",
        "https://vanwert.org/water-treatment/"
      ],
      "pressure": [
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Van-Wert-Water-Quality-Report-2023.pdf",
        "https://vanwert.org/water-treatment/"
      ],
      "rates": [
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Water-and-Sewer-Rates.pdf",
        "https://vanwert.org/water-office/",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2023/11/14/city-council-hears-about-water-rate-increase-shutoff-policy/",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2025/01/26/van-wert-city-council-to-address-various-agenda-items/"
      ],
      "impurities": [
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Van-Wert-Water-Quality-Report-2023.pdf",
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DRINKING-WATER-NOTICE-.pdf"
      ],
      "projects": [
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2026/07/28/thm-fix-in-the-works-along-with-vouchers/"
      ],
      "planned": [
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2026/07/28/thm-fix-in-the-works-along-with-vouchers/",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2025/01/26/van-wert-city-council-to-address-various-agenda-items/",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2023/11/14/city-council-hears-about-water-rate-increase-shutoff-policy/"
      ],
      "water_stress": [
        "https://vanwert.org/water-treatment/",
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Van-Wert-Water-Quality-Report-2023.pdf"
      ],
      "sewer": [
        "https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/epa.ohio.gov/Portals/35/permits/doc/2PD00006.pdf",
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Water-and-Sewer-Rates.pdf",
        "https://thevwindependent.com/news/2023/11/14/city-council-hears-about-water-rate-increase-shutoff-policy/"
      ],
      "fun_facts": [
        "https://vanwert.org/water-treatment/",
        "https://vanwert.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Van-Wert-Water-Quality-Report-2023.pdf"
      ]
    }
  },
  "zips_served": [
    {
      "zip": "45891",
      "share": 0.7175,
      "dominant": true
    }
  ],
  "photo": {
    "url": "/photos/OH8100611.jpg",
    "caption": "Main Street in Van Wert, Ohio",
    "credit": "Art Anderson",
    "license": "CC BY-SA 3.0"
  },
  "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/water/OH8100611/",
  "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/water/OH8100611.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), \"Van Wert City · OH8100611\", https://crackedbuckeye.com/water/OH8100611/, built 2026-09-16, accessed [date].",
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