Water system
Huron City
EPA ID OH2201011 · Erie County · 6,893 people served · owned by a local government
Huron City treats its own water from Lake Erie.
The system's record
- Water bodies
- Lake Erie
- Raw intakes
- Huron Lake Erie
- Serves
- 6,893 people · Erie County
- EPA ID
- OH2201011
About this area's water
Did you know
- Huron's intake crib sits about 2,200 feet out in Lake Erie and feeds the plant by gravity through a 36-inch concrete pipe -- no raw water pumping until the water is already onshore.
- The city runs its own municipal electric utility, Huron Public Power, alongside water and stormwater, while sanitary sewer is handled by Erie County.
- Huron is a wholesaler as well as a retailer: Ohio EPA records the plant serving about 3,600 city connections plus water sold to the Erie County Water and Sewer District.
- The planned new water tower is a 111-foot, 2-million-gallon tank replacing a 500,000-gallon one -- a fourfold jump in elevated storage, justified largely by the need to keep producing through a Lake Erie algal bloom.
- Huron was home port to commercial fishing fleets and a major iron ore and limestone dock -- the first iron ore cargo landed at the Wheeling and Lake Erie docks on May 21, 1884 -- before lake pollution decimated the…
Source: files.cityofhuron.orghuronohio.usfiles.cityofhuron.org
History4
- 1909The City of Huron established its own water department and built its first filtration plant.
- 1957The original waterworks was abandoned and a new filtration plant commissioned; that 1957 plant, since expanded and upgraded several times, is still the city's plant.
- 2024The city completed its lead service line inventory and posted the downloadable list on the water department page.
- 2025Ohio EPA issued a Limited Environmental Review and Finding of No Significant Impact on July 29 for a new 2.0-million-gallon elevated storage tank, to be financed through the Water Supply Revolving…
Source: huronohio.usfiles.cityofhuron.orgfiles.cityofhuron.org
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Raw water flows by gravity through a 36-inch concrete intake pipe from a submerged crib about 2,200 feet out into Lake Erie, through a screen into a raw water wet well at the shoreline plant (500 Cleveland Road West). From the wet well it is pumped to a flash mix where ACH coagulant is added…
Source: files.cityofhuron.orgfiles.cityofhuron.org
Water pressure
Not published. The city's water page mentions a 20 psi threshold only in the context of the Ohio EPA boil-advisory protocol -- the pressure below which an advisory is triggered --…
What it costs
$4.22 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $58 a month for water.
Ordinance No. 2022-55, adopted November 8, 2022 and effective January 1, 2023: $3.16 per 100 cubic feet for residents and $3.48 per 100 cubic feet for non-residents. At 748…
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) Detected 7/1/2025; range 24.7-53.4 ppb. No violation. | 53.4 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Detected 7/1/2025; range 16.6-34.2 ppb. | 16.6 ppb | 60 | 2025 |
| Fluoride Range 0.79-1.0 ppm. | 1.0 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
| Nitrate Range <0.10-1.56 ppm. | 1.56 ppm | 10 | 2025 |
| Barium Range 0.02-0.02 ppm. | 0.02 ppm | 2 | 2025 |
| Chlorine (total) Range 1.6-2.7 ppm. | 2.7 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Turbidity Highest recorded result 0.12 NTU, range 0.02-0.12; 100% of monthly samples met the limit. | 0.12 NTU | 0.3 NTU in 95%… | 2025 |
| Total organic carbon Range 1.0-1.7; a value of 1 or above means compliance. | 1.0 ratio of… | 1.0 minimum | 2025 |
| Lead 1 of 22 sampled sites was above the action level in the most recent (2023) round; no system violation. | 4.280 ppb (90th… | 15 (action… | 2023 |
| Copper 0 of 25 sites above the action level. | 0.378 ppm (90th… | 1.3 (action… | 2023 |
Source: files.cityofhuron.org
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 4.3 ppb in 2023 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
Projects & plans1
Planned or needed
- New 2.0 Million Gallon Elevated Water Storage Tank · $10 million · 2025 · planned
A 111-foot elevated tank that functionally replaces an existing 500,000-gallon tower nearby. Ohio EPA issued the LER and FNSI on July 29, 2025 under WSRLA loan…
Supply stress
Supply volume is not the constraint -- the plant is rated 3.4 MGD against about 2.53 MGD average use, with headroom to 5.0 MGD. The documented risk is source water quality: Ohio EPA's 2025 loan review states Lake Erie has annual harmful algal bloom events that can impact treatment, and that Huron needs more finished water storage so it…
Sewers
Sanitary
Sanitary sewer service is provided by Erie County, not the city; the city's utilities page routes sewer customers to the county Department of Sanitary Engineering. Treatment plant name, capacity and receiving stream are not stated on city pages.
Storm
The city operates its own stormwater program alongside the water and street departments. We found no specific flooding problem or CSO obligation for the city's own stormwater system, though combined sewer overflows are listed…
Source: huronohio.ushuronohio.us
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
- 44839 · Huron56% 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
Huron City does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
2 systems on record buy water from Huron City: Erie Co. Huron East District, Erie Co. Huron South District.
What the records show about Huron City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Huron City as owned by a local government. It has 3,549 service connections and serves 6,893 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 419-433-5000.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Huron City: corrosion control, coagulation and settling, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, fluoridation, powdered activated carbon, 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 Huron City since 2015.
EPA logs no violations of any kind for Huron City since 2020.
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 2023, the 90th-percentile lead result at Huron City was 4.3 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
EPA has 5 sampling periods on file for Huron 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 Huron City sent EPA, 3,465 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 1 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 0 |
| Not lead | 3,464 |
| All lines | 3,465 |
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 Huron City in 2023 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 Huron City (latest sample September 2020). Not one of the six PFAS tested (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS) was detected.
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 Huron City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 54 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 55.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 106.7 µg/L, from 55 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 34.6 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 34.6 µg/L and the highest single sample was 35.9 µg/L, from 55 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 54 µg/L (2019) | 55.1 µg/L | 106.7 µg/L | 55 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 34.6 µg/L | 34.6 µg/L | 35.9 µg/L | 55 |
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 96 samples was 1.7 mg/L (as nitrogen), in 2019, the last year sampled. No sample was 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) | 96 | 1.7 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 0 |
| 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 8 of the nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: barium in 8 of 8 samples, highest 23 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine in 12 samples, alachlor in 12 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 | 12 | 0 of 12 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 12 | 0 of 12 | 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 | 23 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, 2 of 768 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Huron City tested positive (0.26%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 96 did. E. coli was never found in the 7 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 Huron City adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Huron City.
Measured fluoride: 1.06 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2019 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.9 to 1.06 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 not detected in 4 UCMR 5 samples at Huron City, last sampled in 2023 (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.
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.
At the intake, microcystin was detected 20 times in 260 raw-water samples, across 3 bloom seasons (2016 to 2018); the highest raw-water result was 3.315 µg/L on June 19, 2018. There has been no raw-water detection since 2024.
Microcystin was never detected in treated water (122 samples).
In all, 382 samples from 2016 to 2026, the latest on August 25, 2026.
| Water | Samples | Detections | Highest result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw water, at the intake | 260 | 20 | 3.315 µg/L |
| Treated water | 122 | 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 Huron City for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $438 a year, about $37 a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $328 | not on file |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $438 | not on file |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $569 | not on file |
The survey lists it as “Huron”. 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
EPA estimated the service area of Huron City 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 6,968 residents are inside the boundary, 101% of the 6,893 people Huron 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 OH2201011 (EPA ECHO).
Huron City's own pages: eriecounty.oh.gov
Notable facts: files.cityofhuron.org, huronohio.us, files.cityofhuron.org, en.wikipedia.org
History: huronohio.us, files.cityofhuron.org, files.cityofhuron.org
Water quality: files.cityofhuron.org
Planned work: files.cityofhuron.org, huronohio.us
Water pressure: huronohio.us, files.cityofhuron.org
Rates: huronohio.us, files.cityofhuron.org
Sewers: huronohio.us, huronohio.us
Treatment: files.cityofhuron.org, files.cityofhuron.org
Supply stress: files.cityofhuron.org, files.cityofhuron.org
