Water system
Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1
EPA ID OH0500303 · Athens County · 3,276 people served
Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys its water from Athens.
The system's record
- Aquifer
- Hocking River Valley aquifer
- Water bodies
- Hocking River
- Active wells
- 16
- Serves
- 32,725 people · Athens County
- EPA ID
- OH0500212
About this area's water
Did you know
- Athens has drawn its drinking water from the same shallow Hocking River valley aquifer since 1894, and the current wellfield still sits near where the first well was sunk about 4,400 feet west of the courthouse.
- One wellfield serves the City of Athens, The Plains and surrounding rural customers, roughly 2.5 million gallons a day combined, up from about 1.3 million gallons a day in 1954.
- The Plains district buys every gallon it sells: no plant of its own, just a master meter from Athens, two storage tanks and pipe.
- Athens water is moderately hard, about 150 mg/L or 8.76 grains per gallon by the CCR's own FAQ, with the 2025 plant-tap average measured at 142 ppm.
- In 2025 the Athens water plant drew an Ohio EPA violation for missing the October 15 deadline to submit its certified operator staffing hours, with compliance restored October 28 and no health effect; the lesson the…
Source: ci.athens.oh.usdata.epa.gov
History6
- 1894The City of Athens, which supplies this district, began relying on groundwater; its first well was about 4,400 feet west of the courthouse and about 2,000 feet north of the Hocking River, in the…
- 1954The Athens well system had expanded to supply about 1.3 million gallons a day.
- 1969After a 1968 flood, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed work rerouting and widening the Hocking River channel around Athens, moving the river hundreds of feet south along a 5.5-mile stretch.
- 2003Ohio EPA and the city's groundwater consultant investigated sporadic detections of volatile organic compounds in the well water and concluded the aquifer has a high susceptibility to contamination…
- 2023The Athens public water system participated in the fifth round of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5).
- 2025Athens abandoned and sealed Wells 22 and 23 with an Ohio EPA grant, began a project for a new production Well 24, added a baseline PFAS assay to its annual groundwater monitoring, installed three new…
Source: ci.athens.oh.usen.wikipedia.org
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
This district treats no water of its own. It buys finished water through a master-meter consecutive connection from the City of Athens public water system (PWSID OH0500212) and operates two storage tanks and its own distribution system. The Athens plant at 395 West State Street treats wellfield…
Source: data.epa.govdata.epa.govci.athens.oh.us
Water pressure
No normal operating pressure is published. The Athens CCR states only that Ohio EPA recommends a public water supplier issue a boil order any time distribution pressure falls…
Source: ci.athens.oh.us
What it costs
Not published online. This is an Athens County district (contact 740-797-7146, office at Millfield), so its retail rates are set by Athens County rather than by the City of Athens…
Source: data.epa.gov
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) System-wide; range 12.8-67.2 ppb. | 36.2 ppb | 80 | 2024 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Range 6.0-13.5 ppb. | 8.6 ppb | 60 | 2024 |
| Lead (90th percentile) Range <2.0-2.8 ppb; 0 of 30 samples exceeded the action level. The CCR notes that since tri-annual testing began under… | <2.0 ppb | AL=15 | 2024 |
| Copper (90th percentile) Range >0.01-0.45 ppm; 0 of 30 samples exceeded the action level. | 0.084 ppm | AL=1.3 | 2024 |
| Fluoride Plant tap; range 0.99-1.05 ppm. Water additive plus erosion of natural deposits. | 1.03 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
| Total Chlorine Residual System-wide; range 1.21-1.38 ppm. | 1.36 ppm | MRDL=4 | 2025 |
| Nitrate/Nitrate-N Plant tap; well below the limit. | 0.33 ppm | 10 | 2024 |
| Barium About 1 percent of the MCL. | 0.02 ppm | 2 | 2023 |
| PFAS (5 compounds, UCMR5) Perfluorobutanoic acid 0.0027, perfluorooctanoic acid 0.0016, perfluoropentanoic acid 0.0015, perfluorobutanesulfonic… | 0.0009-0.0027 ppb | no MCL under… | 2024 |
| Lithium Range <4.5-11.9 ppb; unregulated contaminant monitoring. | 11.9 ppb | no MCL (UCMR5) | 2023 |
Source: ci.athens.oh.us
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 2 ppb in 2024 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
4 violations of any kind logged since 2020: 1 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 3 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
EPA compliance record · Athens (treats the water)
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0 ppb in 2024 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
1 violation of any kind logged since 2020: 1 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
Projects & plans5
Recent and current work
- Abandonment and sealing of Wells 22 and 23 · 2025 · completed
Wells no longer in use were sealed with an Ohio EPA grant award, to keep them from acting as conduits into the shallow aquifer. Cost not published. - New production Well 24 · 2025 · under construction
Project begun in 2025 to add wellfield capacity. Cost not published. - Water plant window and door replacement · 2025 · completed
Energy-efficiency work at the 395 West State Street treatment plant. Cost not published. - Three new valves at Well 9 · 2025 · completed
Valve assembly replacement carried out by water distribution staff with plant staff. Cost not published.
Source: ci.athens.oh.us
Planned or needed
- Abandonment of Well 6 · 2025 · planned
Athens applied for and received a well abandonment grant from Ohio EPA to abandon Well 6; the CCR does not report the sealing as complete, unlike Wells 22 and…
Source: ci.athens.oh.us
Supply stress
The supplying aquifer carries an Ohio EPA-approved determination of high susceptibility to contamination, based on the lack of a protective clay layer, a depth of less than 20 feet below ground surface, significant potential contaminant sources inside the wellhead protection area, and manmade contaminants already found in the well water.…
Source: ci.athens.oh.usci.athens.oh.us
Sewers
Sanitary
The Plains is unincorporated Athens County, so sanitary service is a county rather than a City of Athens responsibility. We found no plant name, capacity, receiving stream or NPDES permit for The Plains.
Storm
Not documented for this district. The City of Athens runs an Ohio EPA-mandated MS4 storm program under Ordinance 0-52-11 and Title 5.07, required in June 2017, but the CCR states that permit regulates stormwater inside the city limits, which does not cover…
Source: ci.athens.oh.usdata.epa.gov
Sourcesverified
Compiled from the utility's own reports and public records, then independently re-checked against primary sources.
Main supplier in 1 ZIP code
Serves
Main water supplier in 1 ZIP code
- 45780 · Athens Township and The Plains92% of residents
Also present in 1 more ZIP code
- 45701 · Athens0% of residents
Population-weighted resident shares; a ZIP code can have more than one system on record. Recomputed from each ZIP's own system list, not from the map's cached footprint.
Buys from · Sells to
Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys its water from Athens.
No other system is on record buying water from Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1.
What the records show about Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1
Who runs it
EPA's record says Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 has 1,278 service connections and serves 3,276 people.
EPA classes it as a community water system, one that serves the same residents all year.
Its office telephone on EPA's record is 740-797-7146.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys water that Athens treats first, so the steps that count are the seller's. EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Athens: aeration, coagulation and settling, chlorine disinfection, fluoridation, ion-exchange softening, and sand or media filtration.
The list is what each system registered with EPA for treatment plants EPA still shows as active, and it can lag a plant upgrade.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) treatment table (EPA Envirofacts, pulled September 2026).
Violations
EPA's record shows no health-based violations for Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 since 2015.
EPA logs 4 violations of any kind since 2020: 1 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 3 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) violation records: health-based violations with compliance periods beginning in 2015 or later, all violations from 2020 or later (EPA Envirofacts, pulled September 2026).
Lead and copper at the tap
In the sampling period ending December 2024, the 90th-percentile lead result at Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 was 2 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 12.6 ppb, in the period ending December 2017.
EPA has 4 sampling periods on file for Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 since 2016, the first ending in 2017; 1 of the 4 periods went above 10 ppb.
Every water system has to inventory its service lines, the pipes from the main to each building. In the inventory Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 sent EPA, 1,262 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 0 |
| Not lead | 1,262 |
| All lines | 1,262 |
Systems sample taps in the homes most likely to have lead pipes or solder. The 90th-percentile result is the level nine in ten of the sampled homes were at or below. Lead comes mostly from service lines and house plumbing, not the source water, so a low result for the system does not clear an old house.
EPA's dashboard status for this inventory: reported all required service line types.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) lead and copper 90th-percentile results (EPA Envirofacts), sampling periods ending 2016 or later; EPA's service line inventory dashboard, Ohio's 2026 Q2 submission.
PFAS
The water Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys is treated by Athens, so the results below are Athens's.
EPA's fifth national round of testing (UCMR 5) took 3 samples of the water entering the pipes of Athens in 2023 to 2024 and measured 29 PFAS. No PFAS was detected, PFOA and PFOS (federal limit 4 ng/L each) among them.
Ohio EPA's own statewide sampling tested 1 plant of Athens (latest sample June 2020). Not one of the six PFAS tested (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS) was detected.
Ohio EPA's current sampling status map lists 1 plant of Athens as sampled, most recently May 2026.
PFAS are the 'forever chemicals' from firefighting foam, plating shops and non-stick coatings. Results are for water leaving the plant, not your tap.
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data (final release, August 2026); Ohio EPA statewide PFAS sampling, 2019 to 2021, and its sampling status map.
Disinfection byproducts
Chlorine that disinfects water also reacts with organic matter to form byproducts. Two groups have federal limits: total trihalomethanes (TTHM, 80 µg/L) and five haloacetic acids (HAA5, 60 µg/L), judged on running yearly averages at each sampling site.
For TTHM, the average of Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 60.2 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 63.5 µg/L and the highest single sample was 73.5 µg/L, from 14 samples taken from 2013 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 11.9 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 14.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 15.5 µg/L, from 14 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 60.2 µg/L (2019) | 63.5 µg/L | 73.5 µg/L | 14 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 11.9 µg/L | 14.1 µg/L | 15.5 µg/L | 14 |
A yearly average of 0 means nothing was detected in that year's samples. EPA's file stops at 2019; Ohio EPA's Drinking Water Watch has newer results.
Source: EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, distribution-system samples (non-detects counted as zero).
Nitrate, arsenic and radioactivity
The water Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys is treated by Athens, so the results below are Athens's.
Nitrate: the highest of 8 samples was 0.5 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2016; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 0.37 mg/L. No sample was over the limit of 10 mg/L. Nitrate above 10 is unsafe for infants.
Arsenic was not detected in 2 samples (limit 10 µg/L).
| Contaminant | Samples | Highest result | Limit | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 8 | 0.5 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 0 |
| Arsenic | 2 | not detected | 10 µg/L | 0 |
Measured in finished water: at the plant's entry points and in the distribution system; raw well and intake samples are left out. Non-detects count as zero.
Source: EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, finished water of Athens.
Solvents and fuels
The water Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys is treated by Athens, so the results below are Athens's.
EPA's file holds results for all six solvent and fuel compounds it checked. Benzene, carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and vinyl chloride were not detected in 2 samples each.
| Compound | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzene | 5 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 5 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 5 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 5 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) | 5 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Vinyl chloride | 2 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
"Not detected" means the lab's result was below what its method can measure, not that the compound is absent. Non-detects count as zero in the highest-result column.
Source: EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, finished water of Athens.
Farm chemicals and metals
The water Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys is treated by Athens, so the results below are Athens's.
EPA's file holds results for 8 of the nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: barium in 2 of 2 samples, highest 28.8 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine, alachlor, chromium, cadmium, mercury, selenium, and thallium, in 2 samples each.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Chromium | Metal | 100 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Cadmium | Metal | 5 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Barium | Metal | 2,000 µg/L | 2 | 2 of 2 | 28.8 µg/L | 0 |
| Mercury | Metal | 2 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Selenium | Metal | 50 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Thallium | Metal | 2 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
Non-detects count as zero in the highest-result column.
Source: EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, finished water of Athens.
Bacteria in the pipes
From 2012 to 2019, 0 of 385 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 tested positive (0%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 48 did.
A positive coliform test is a warning sign, not a violation by itself. E. coli is a sign that human or animal waste may have reached the water. Coliform counts are routine samples only; E. coli counts include repeat samples.
Source: EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, distribution-system presence/absence tests for total coliform and E. coli.
Fluoride
The Ohio Department of Health's report to the CDC (My Water's Fluoride) says Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys its water from Athens, a system that adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Athens, which treats the water Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 buys.
Measured fluoride: 1.06 mg/L on average leaving the plants of Athens, which supplies Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1, in 2017 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 1.06 to 1.08 mg/L across 2 samples in 2012 to 2019.
The recommended level for preventing tooth decay is 0.7 mg/L; the federal limit is 4 mg/L. The treatment list is what each system registered with EPA and can lag a plant upgrade.
Source: CDC My Water's Fluoride (fluoridation status as reported by the Ohio Department of Health, fetched September 2026); EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) treatment table; EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, entry-point fluoride samples.
Lithium
Lithium was found in 1 of 2 UCMR 5 samples at Athens, which supplies Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1, highest 11.9 µg/L, last sampled in 2024.
Lithium is not regulated. EPA's draft health reference level is 10 µg/L, and it occurs naturally in deep groundwater, so well systems in the northwest run highest.
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data (final release, August 2026), samples from 2023 to 2025.
How well the service area is mapped
EPA estimated the service area of Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 with a computer model rather than drawing it from the utility's map, so its edges are approximate.
Counting the people who live in the ZIP codes it overlaps, this atlas estimates 3,089 residents are inside the boundary, 94% of the 3,276 people Athens Co., the Plains S.d. 1 reports serving.
The resident count is an estimate from 2020 Census ZIP-code populations, not a count of customers.
Source: EPA Service Area Boundaries; resident estimate by this atlas from ZIP-code overlap.
Photograph
On the map
Show this system's territory on the map — 2 ZIP codes in all.
Sources
U.S. EPA SDWIS and Community Water System Service Area Boundaries (v3, 2026), Ohio EPA primacy data, 2020 census blocks: the system serving most residents, traced through purchases to the treating utility; Ohio EPA 2023 Sewer and Water Rate Survey (Ohio State, May 2025) for household bills; Ohio EPA DEFA loan awards since 2016 for the loans paragraph · EPA SDWIS · EPA service area boundaries · Ohio EPA drinking water · Ohio EPA rate survey
EPA's own record for this system: Enforcement and Compliance History report for OH0500303 (EPA ECHO).
Notable facts: ci.athens.oh.us, data.epa.gov
History: ci.athens.oh.us, en.wikipedia.org
Water quality: ci.athens.oh.us
Planned work: ci.athens.oh.us
Water pressure: ci.athens.oh.us
Capital projects: ci.athens.oh.us
Rates: data.epa.gov
Sewers: ci.athens.oh.us, data.epa.gov
Treatment: data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov, ci.athens.oh.us
Supply stress: ci.athens.oh.us, ci.athens.oh.us
