Water system
Trenton City
EPA ID OH0903012 · Butler County · 13,012 people served · owned by a local government
Trenton City treats its own water from Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer (wells).
The system's record
- Aquifer
- Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer / Trenton Buried Valley Aquifer
- Active wells
- 4
- Serves
- 13,012 people · Butler County
- EPA ID
- OH0903012
About this area's water
Did you know
- Trenton pumped almost 470 million gallons of groundwater in 2025 — but City Council's top priority is that around 40% of the water entering the system never reaches a billed customer.
- The city sits on three separate aquifers named by Ohio EPA: the Great Miami River Alluvial Aquifer, the Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer, and the Trenton Buried Valley Aquifer.
- Before 2006, Trenton's well water went from the wells straight into the distribution system with no softening at all — only chlorine and fluoride were added, because the raw groundwater quality was already so high.
- Trenton doesn't fully soften its water: only part of the flow passes through the four ion exchangers, and the softened water is deliberately blended back with raw water before reaching the clearwell.
- The city's sewage travels under the bed of the Great Miami River in a force main to reach Butler County's LeSourdsville plant on the far bank.
History4
- 2006Trenton built its Ion Exchange Water Treatment Plant to cut the hardness of its groundwater significantly. Before that the city pumped water directly from the wells into the distribution system…
- 2025Routine lead and copper sampling at 121 sites found one site (Site 1) at 29.6 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level, though the 90th percentile was 0.88 ppb and no action level exceedance or violation…
- 2026Construction of a new water tower reached the foundation footing stage, reported in the City Manager's weekly council report for the week of 3-2-2026.
- 2026Reducing water loss became City Council's number one priority area, with the stated goal of bringing the figure down from 40%. Staff are verifying and replacing large meters and running leak…
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Groundwater only. Raw water is drawn by vertical turbine well pumps from four supply wells across two separate well fields inside the corporate limits, tapping three aquifers identified by Ohio EPA: the Great Miami River Alluvial Aquifer, the Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer, and the Trenton…
Source: trentonoh.govtrentonoh.gov
Water pressure
No pressure figure is published, but the system's structure is documented: Trenton operates a single pressure system — one pressure zone served by four supply wells, one treatment…
What it costs
$6.32 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $35 a month for water.
From the city's published Residential Utility Charges table, 2026 column. Water: $21.95 monthly flat rate including the first 2,000 gallons, then tiered consumption charges of…
Source: trentonoh.govtrentonoh.gov
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (90th percentile) Range ND-29.6 ppb. 1 of 121 sites exceeded the action level — Site 1 at 29.6 ppb, nearly double the AL. The 90th… | 0.88 ppb | 15 (action… | 2025 |
| Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Range 484-556 ppm. EXCEEDS the 500 ppm secondary maximum contaminant level. Secondary standards are aesthetic — taste… | 520 ppm | 500 (secondary) | 2024 |
| Nitrate Range 3.36-4.81 ppm — about 41% of the MCL, and the CCR states plainly that nitrates 'have been detected at elevated… | 4.06 ppm | 10 | 2025 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) Reported in the CCR as 0.00315 ppb, range 0.0030-0.0033 ppb. At about 79% of the federal MCL adopted in 2024, this is… | 3.15 ppt | 4.0 | 2024 |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) Reported as 0.00195 ppb, range 0.0019-0.0020 ppb. About half the federal MCL. UCMR 5 sampling. | 1.95 ppt | 4.0 | 2024 |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) Reported as 0.0030 ppb, range 0.0028-0.0032 ppb. Regulated through EPA's mixture Hazard Index rather than an individual… | 3.0 ppt | 10 (hazard… | 2024 |
| Chloride Range 72.2-90.5 ppm. Under the aesthetic limit but high for a groundwater system, and a contributor to the elevated TDS. | 81.35 ppm | 250 (secondary) | 2024 |
| Copper (90th percentile) Range 0.00018-0.687 ppm; 0 of 121 sites over the action level. Supersedes the 2022 figure of 0.127 ppm. | 0.217 ppm | 1.3 (action… | 2025 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 6.8-12.8 ppb — about 13% of the MCL, as expected for a groundwater source with little organic precursor material.… | 10.6 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Fluoride Range 0.4-1.05 ppm. Naturally occurring plus sodium fluoride added for dental health; close to the 0.7 ppm optimum.… | 0.833 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
Source: trentonoh.gov
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 2.3 ppb in 2026 (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
- New water tower · 2026 · under construction
Reported by the Service Director as being in the foundation footing stage in the City Manager's weekly council report for the week of 3-2-2026. No contract… - Water main extensions, Trenton Square development · 2026 · under construction
City staff are filling water main extensions and nearing utility testing for the Trenton Square residential development, per the 3-2-2026 weekly council… - Water loss reduction program · 2026 · under construction
City Council priority area #1. Staff are studying the system city-wide, verifying all large meters and replacing several that were masking loss, installing…
Source: trentonoh.gov
Planned or needed
- Wellhead / source water protection plan · planned
The 2025 CCR states the city 'has placed a priority on protecting its groundwater through the development of a wellhead/source water protection plan,' given… - Water Engineering and Standard Operating Procedure services · 2026 · proposed
Staff completed the water RFQ evaluation and sent an RFP to qualified firms, with internal discussions to go to Council soon, per the 3-2-2026 weekly council…
Source: trentonoh.govtrentonoh.gov
Supply stress
Ohio EPA classifies Trenton's sand-and-gravel aquifer as having HIGH susceptibility to contamination. The city has identified 18 potential contaminant sources within the wellhead protection area, including septic systems, stormwater wells, agricultural activities, gravel pits, underground storage tanks, and some commercial sources. The…
Source: trentonoh.govtrentonoh.gov
Sewers
Sanitary
Split responsibility. The City of Trenton's Sewer Division owns and maintains over 55 miles of sanitary sewer, about a half-mile of sanitary force main, and one lift station, and inspects, cleans and cameras roughly 4.5 miles of sewer main a year, repairing or replacing defects. Sewage flows by gravity to the lift station on the south…
Storm
The city bills a flat residential stormwater charge of $3.65 per month in 2026, up from $3.50 in 2024-2025 and $3.30 in 2020-2021 — a distinct line item on every residential utility bill alongside water, sewer, streetlight and refuse. City crews maintain…
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
- 45067 · Trenton87% 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
Trenton City does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
No other system is on record buying water from Trenton City.
What the records show about Trenton City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Trenton City as owned by a local government. It has 4,618 service connections and serves 13,012 people.
EPA classes it as a community water system, one that serves the same residents all year.
EPA's record says it has substantially implemented source water protection under Ohio's program, dating the program from 2025. Its office telephone on EPA's record is 513-988-6304.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Trenton City: corrosion control, chlorine disinfection, fluoridation, and ion-exchange softening.
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 Trenton City since 2015.
EPA logs 1 violation of any kind 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).
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 June 2026, the 90th-percentile lead result at Trenton City was 2.3 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 9.7 ppb, in the period ending December 2020.
EPA has 11 sampling periods on file for Trenton City since 2016, the first ending in 2017; no period was above 10 ppb.
Every water system has to inventory its service lines, the pipes from the main to each building. In the inventory Trenton City sent EPA, 4,809 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 3,640 |
| Not lead | 1,169 |
| All lines | 4,809 |
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
EPA's fifth national round of testing (UCMR 5) took 4 samples of the water entering the pipes of Trenton City in 2023 to 2024 and measured 29 PFAS.
PFOA and PFOS were not detected, against a federal limit of 4 ng/L each.
The highest PFAS results were PFHxS 3.1 ng/L and PFBS 3 ng/L.
Ohio EPA's own statewide sampling tested 1 plant of Trenton City (latest sample July 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 Trenton City as sampled, most recently June 2026.
| Compound | Highest result | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA | not detected | 4 ng/L |
| PFOS | not detected | 4 ng/L |
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 Trenton City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 12.7 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 16.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 26.5 µg/L, from 43 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 1.1 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 3.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 7 µg/L, from 43 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 12.7 µg/L (2019) | 16.1 µg/L | 26.5 µg/L | 43 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 1.1 µg/L | 3.1 µg/L | 7 µg/L | 43 |
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
Nitrate: the highest of 33 samples was 5.32 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2015; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 4.9 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) | 33 | 5.32 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.
Solvents and fuels
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.
Farm chemicals and metals
EPA's file holds results for all nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: barium in 2 of 2 samples, highest 62.9 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine in 3 samples, alachlor in 3 samples, 2,4-D in 3 samples, chromium in 2 samples, cadmium in 2 samples, mercury in 2 samples, selenium in 2 samples, thallium in 2 samples.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| 2,4-D | Farm chemical | 70 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | 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 | 62.9 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.
Bacteria in the pipes
From 2012 to 2019, 1 of 963 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Trenton City tested positive (0.1%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 120 did. E. coli was never found in the 993 samples tested for it.
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 Trenton City adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Trenton City.
Measured fluoride: 1.28 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2017 (above the target); samples ran from 0.88 to 1.28 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 not detected in 2 UCMR 5 samples at Trenton City, last sampled in 2024 (the method reports from 9 µg/L).
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.
Water and sewer bills
Ohio EPA's 2023 rate survey puts the water bill at Trenton City for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $442 a year, about $37 a month.
The sewer bill in the same survey is $401 a year at 5,000 gallons a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $291 | $249 |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $442 | $401 |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $624 | $582 |
The survey lists it as “Trenton”. These are inside-city rates and annual bills at the use shown.
Source: Ohio EPA 2023 Sewer and Water Rate Survey (Ohio State University, May 2025).
How well the service area is mapped
The service area drawn on the map for Trenton City comes from the utility's own map.
Counting the people who live in the ZIP codes it overlaps, this atlas estimates 13,126 residents are inside the boundary, 101% of the 13,012 people Trenton City 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 — 1 ZIP code 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 OH0903012 (EPA ECHO).
Trenton City's own pages: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
Notable facts: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
History: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
Water quality: trentonoh.gov
Planned work: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
Water pressure: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
Capital projects: trentonoh.gov
Rates: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
Sewers: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov, bcohio.gov
Treatment: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
Supply stress: trentonoh.gov, trentonoh.gov
