Water system
Berea City
EPA ID OH1800111 · Cuyahoga County · 18,789 people served · owned by a local government
Berea City treats its own water from East Branch Rocky River.
The system's record
- Water bodies
- Rocky River (East Branch)
- Raw intakes
- Berea Branch Rocky
- Serves
- 18,789 people · Cuyahoga County
- EPA ID
- OH1800111
About this area's water
Did you know
- In 1984 Berea's plant was the first drinking water plant in Ohio to disinfect with ozone. The ozone is long gone, replaced by activated carbon filtration and ultraviolet light.
- Berea makes its own water — about 2.1 million gallons a day — in a city that calls itself the 'Grindstone Capital of the World' for the sandstone quarries that made it, and it is one of only a handful of Cuyahoga County…
- When the river will not do, the plant switches to Coe Lake, a lake in a city park, as its raw water source.
- Berea started pumping water in 1898 mainly to stop the town burning down.
- The city publishes a detailed annual water quality report but no water rate schedule at all — customers get a quarterly bill and are pointed to a separate agency, NEORSD, for the sewer half of it.
History6
- 1898Berea begins pumping water, prompted by a series of destructive fires.
- 1920sWater treatment processes introduced at the plant to prevent waterborne disease.
- 1980sPlant modernization led by Dr. Dimiter Ramadanoff.
- 1984Berea becomes the first drinking water plant in Ohio to use ozonation for disinfection; ozone has since been replaced by activated carbon filtration and ultraviolet light.
- 2014Ultraviolet disinfection added, approved by Ohio EPA to inactivate cryptosporidium.
- 2017City begins a voluntary corrosion control study following national attention to lead in drinking water.
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Berea owns and operates its own surface-water treatment plant in downtown Berea, average production about 2.1 million gallons per day. Raw water is drawn from the East Branch of the Rocky River, with Coe Lake available as an alternate source; a backup interconnection with Cleveland Water exists and…
Source: cityofberea.orgcityofberea.orgcityofberea.org
Water pressure
Not published. No CCR, city page or Ohio EPA record reviewed gives a system psi figure or a pressure-zone map.
What it costs
Not published anywhere retrievable. Berea bills water quarterly (three months of usage per bill), but the Water Department page, the Water Billing page and the payment FAQ all…
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range of detections 27.5-106.1 ppb — individual samples exceeded the 80 ppb standard, but compliance is judged on a… | 64.2 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Range 6.0-18.5 ppb. 2023: 13.5 ppb (range 6.0-17.2). | 12.2 ppb | 60 | 2025 |
| Total Chlorine Range 0.91-1.36 ppm. | 1.27 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Nitrate Range 0.5-6.2 ppm — the highest single result reached 62% of the MCL. The CCR carries the blue-baby-syndrome advisory… | 6.2 ppm | 10 | 2025 |
| Fluoride Range 0.76-1.24 ppm. | 1.24 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
| Turbidity Range 0.03-0.230 NTU. Turbidity is the performance check on the filters for a surface-water plant. | 0.23 (highest)… NTU | 0.3 (TT) | 2025 |
| Total Organic Carbon (removal ratio) Range 1.85-3.45; a value above 1 means the plant is meeting its required TOC removal. TOC is the precursor material… | 2.08 ratio | TT (value must… | 2025 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 0 of 30 samples above the action level. 2023 result was <2 ug/L. | 2.6 ppb | 15 (AL) | 2025 |
| Copper (90th percentile) 0 of 30 samples above the action level. 2023: 0.0170 ppm. | 0.099 ppm | 1.3 (AL) | 2025 |
| Lithium Quarterly UCMR 5 results: 11 (Jan), 9.4 (Apr), 8.8 (Jul), 8.3 (Oct) ug/L against a minimum reporting level of 9 ug/L. | 8.3-11 ug/L | unregulated… | 2024 |
Source: cityofberea.orgcityofberea.org
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA health-based violations since 2015:
- 2019Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) · above the legal limit on average · measured 0.082 MG/L (limit 0.08 MG/L) · returned to compliance
3 violations of any kind logged since 2020: 1 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 2 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
Projects & plans2
Planned or needed
- Replacement of aging water mains installed in the 1950s · needed
The Water Plant page names this the department's major priority, attributing discolored water and frequent breaks to the 1950s-era mains. No cost, schedule or… - Lead service line inventory — unknown-material follow-up · under construction
Letters to residents whose service lines are designated 'unknown' go out in September 2026, offering a self-identification form or a city inspection; results…
Source: cityofberea.orgcityofberea.org
Supply stress
Berea is one of the very few Cuyahoga County communities that still makes its own water rather than buying from Cleveland, and its entire supply is a small urban stream. Wikipedia's account is that the East Branch of the Rocky River provides the supply 'for most of the year' — the city's own material confirms Coe Lake as the alternate…
Sewers
Sanitary
Sanitary sewage is handled by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Berea's own Water Billing page tells customers that NEORSD sets and bills wastewater rates and links directly to NEORSD's rate page and summer sprinkling program, confirming NEORSD membership from a city source rather than an inference. Which NEORSD treatment plant…
Storm
NEORSD's Regional Stormwater Management Program covers Berea, and the city's Water Billing page links to it directly; NEORSD bills the stormwater fee alongside the wastewater charge. The city's own storm water pages focus on local drainage and rain gardens…
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
- 44017 · Berea96% 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
Berea 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 Berea City.
What the records show about Berea City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Berea City as owned by a local government. It has 6,985 service connections and serves 18,789 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 2023. Its office telephone on EPA's record is 440-826-5814.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Berea City: corrosion control, coagulation and settling, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, fluoridation, granular activated carbon, lime softening, powdered activated carbon, sand or media filtration, and ultraviolet disinfection.
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 counts 1 health-based violation for Berea City since 2015. Health-based means a contaminant above its legal limit or a required treatment step not carried out. It falls into 1 separate problem (one contaminant or rule in one year); the table lists it.
EPA logs 3 violations of any kind since 2020: 1 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 2 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
| Year | Contaminant or rule | Kind | Measured | Limit | Status in EPA's record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) | above the legal limit on average | 0.082 mg/L | 0.08 mg/L | returned to compliance |
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 2025, the 90th-percentile lead result at Berea City was 0 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027. A result of 0 means at least nine in ten of the homes sampled had no lead detected.
The highest result on file is 3 ppb, in the period ending June 2018.
EPA has 12 sampling periods on file for Berea 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 Berea City sent EPA, 6,974 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 1 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 45 |
| Unknown material | 2,157 |
| Not lead | 4,771 |
| All lines | 6,974 |
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 Berea City in 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 Berea 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 Berea City as sampled, most recently October 2024.
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 Berea City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 50.1 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 62 µg/L and the highest single sample was 104.4 µg/L, from 128 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 12.4 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 16.5 µg/L and the highest single sample was 30.4 µg/L, from 126 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 50.1 µg/L (2019) | 62 µg/L | 104.4 µg/L | 128 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 12.4 µg/L | 16.5 µg/L | 30.4 µg/L | 126 |
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 97 samples was 11.1 mg/L (as nitrogen), in 2019, the last year sampled. 1 of the samples went over the limit of 10 mg/L. Nitrate above 10 is unsafe for infants.
Arsenic was not detected in 8 samples (limit 10 µg/L).
| Contaminant | Samples | Highest result | Limit | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 97 | 11.1 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 1 |
| Arsenic | 8 | 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 8 samples each.
| Compound | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzene | 5 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 5 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 5 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 5 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) | 5 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Vinyl chloride | 2 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | 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 8 of 8 samples, highest 16.1 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine in 23 samples, alachlor in 23 samples, 2,4-D in 3 samples, chromium in 8 samples, cadmium in 8 samples, mercury in 8 samples, selenium in 8 samples, thallium in 8 samples.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 23 | 0 of 23 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 23 | 0 of 23 | not detected | 0 |
| 2,4-D | Farm chemical | 70 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Chromium | Metal | 100 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Cadmium | Metal | 5 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Barium | Metal | 2,000 µg/L | 8 | 8 of 8 | 16.1 µg/L | 0 |
| Mercury | Metal | 2 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Selenium | Metal | 50 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Thallium | Metal | 2 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | 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, 4 of 2,143 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Berea City tested positive (0.19%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 264 did. E. coli was never found in the 4 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 Berea City adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Berea City.
Measured fluoride: 0.86 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2019 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.86 to 1.02 mg/L across 8 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 2 of 4 UCMR 5 samples at Berea City, highest 11 µg/L; detections averaged 10.2, 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.
Algal toxins
Ohio EPA tests for microcystin, a toxin that harmful algal blooms can release, in raw water at the intake and in treated water.
No microcystin was detected in the 167 raw-water samples.
Microcystin was never detected in treated water (220 samples).
In all, 387 samples from 2016 to 2026, the latest on August 24, 2026.
| Water | Samples | Detections | Highest result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw water, at the intake | 167 | 0 | not detected |
| Treated water | 220 | 0 | not detected |
The ten-day advisory levels for treated water are 0.3 µg/L for children under six and 1.6 µg/L for everyone else. Any detection at the intake triggers more frequent testing until two clean weeks.
Source: Ohio EPA public water system harmful algal bloom monitoring, 2016 to present (HAB data, fetched September 2026).
Water and sewer bills
Ohio EPA's 2023 rate survey puts the water bill at Berea City for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $289 a year, about $24 a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $185 | not on file |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $289 | not on file |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $413 | not on file |
The survey lists it as “Berea”. 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 Berea City comes from the utility's own map.
Counting the people who live in the ZIP codes it overlaps, this atlas estimates 17,883 residents are inside the boundary, 95% of the 18,789 people Berea 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 OH1800111 (EPA ECHO).
Berea City's own pages: bereaohio.com
Notable facts: cityofberea.org, en.wikipedia.org, cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org
History: cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org
Water quality: cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org
Planned work: cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org
Rates: cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org, neorsd.org
Sewers: cityofberea.org, neorsd.org, neorsd.org
Treatment: cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org
Supply stress: cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org, cityofberea.org, en.wikipedia.org