Water system
Greenfield Village
EPA ID OH3600312 · Highland County · 4,600 people served · owned by a local government
Greenfield Village treats its own water from Groundwater wells (8 wells).
The system's record
- Active wells
- 8
- Serves
- 4,600 people · Highland County
- EPA ID
- OH3600312
About this area's water
Did you know
- Greenfield publishes essentially nothing about its water system: no consumer confidence report, no water department page, and no water projects on the village's own current-projects page. Almost everything verifiable…
- EPA's administrative contact for the village water system is Jeremiah Oyer at policechief@greenfieldohio.net - the town's police chief is the person on file for the drinking water system.
- In 1988 the village bought the 29.5-mile rail line linking it to the national network for $2.4 million rather than lose freight service, making it the smallest municipality in the country to own its own railroad.
- C.R. Patterson & Sons, founded in Greenfield in 1893, is described as the first African-American-owned car company in the United States; it began building horse-drawn buggies before moving to cars, buses and trucks.
- The village's water and sewer fund was losing money every year until DLZ Ohio's rate study led to Ordinance 19-2022, which raised the water usage base rate 20% in one step in January 2023.
History6
- 1893C.R. Patterson & Sons, described as the first African-American-owned car company in the United States, is founded in Greenfield; it began as a carriage builder and later made cars, buses and trucks.
- 1988The village buys the 29.5-mile rail line connecting it to the national network for $2.4 million rather than let it be decommissioned, becoming the smallest US municipality to own its own rail line.
- 2003July 1: a violation for not issuing the yearly water quality report (the Consumer Confidence Report) opens; returned to compliance September 11, 2003.
- 2010February 1: Ohio EPA obligates $361,100 in Water Pollution Control Loan Fund money (half of it ARRA principal forgiveness) to replace defective manholes and stop sewer overflows into Paint Creek.
- 2019July 30: a monitoring and reporting violation opens; returned to compliance the next day, July 31, 2019.
- 2020July 30: a violation for not giving the public a required notice of an earlier violation opens; EPA records a return to compliance on June 24, 2025, so it ran for nearly five years.
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Thinly documented. The village operates its own groundwater plant on wells: EPA's facility inventory lists nine wells, eight of them active, plus a clearwell and a 1.9-million-gallon Edgewood Avenue tank. The only treatment process EPA has on file for the plant is gaseous pre-chlorination.…
Source: data.epa.govdata.epa.gov
Water pressure
Not published.
What it costs
$6.50 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $42 a month for water.
Water rates from Ordinance 19-2022, adopted January 9, 2023 (amending codified section 921.01(a)), effective January 1, 2024: $25.62 for the first 1,000 gallons, $3.07 for the…
Source: cms9files.revize.comcodelibrary.amlegal.comtimesgazette.com
Water quality & impurities2
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (90th percentile) About 1.4 ppb, roughly a tenth of the action level; from EPA's lead and copper sample record, since no CCR is published. | 0.0014 mg/L | 0.015 (action… | 2025 |
| Lead (90th percentile) About 0.9 ppb; from EPA's lead and copper sample record. | 0.0009 mg/L | 0.015 (action… | 2024 |
Source: data.epa.govdata.epa.govdata.epa.gov
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 1.4 ppb in 2025 (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 & plans3
Recent and current work
- Sanitary sewer line and manhole replacement (CDBG) · $750,000 · 2023 · planned
Awarded November 2023 by the Ohio Department of Development. Replaces sewer lines, service lines, wyes, manholes and catch basins where inflow and infiltration… - Manhole replacement to eliminate Paint Creek sewer overflows (WPCLF/ARRA) · $361,100 · 2010 · completed
Half ARRA principal forgiveness, half low-interest WPCLF loan, obligated February 1, 2010.
Source: sciotovalleyguardian.comhighlandcountypress.com
Planned or needed
- 3% annual water rate increase called for by Ordinance 19-2022 · 2026 · needed
Required by the ordinance every January from 2025 onward but, per April 2026 council discussion, never implemented by the prior administration; Council said it…
Supply stress
Not documented as a quantity problem. The system draws eight active wells for about 4,600 people and 2,322 connections in Greenfield, in Highland and Ross counties. We found no Ohio EPA source water assessment, drought study or susceptibility rating for Greenfield, and EPA's records show no source water protection status for the…
Sewers
Sanitary
Village-operated and struggling with wet weather. The state's 2023 grant announcement described Greenfield's collection system as plagued by severe inflow and infiltration causing wastewater to surface across the village, and awarded $750,000 in CDBG money to replace lines, service lines, wyes, manholes and catch basins in the worst…
Storm
We found no record of whether Greenfield's storm sewers are separate or combined; the sewer projects funded catch basin replacement alongside sanitary work, which suggests intermixed drainage.
Source: sciotovalleyguardian.comhighlandcountypress.comcms9files.revize.com
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
- 45123 · Greenfield52% 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
Greenfield Village does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
No other system is on record buying water from Greenfield Village.
What the records show about Greenfield Village
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Greenfield Village as owned by a local government. It has 2,322 service connections and serves 4,600 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 937-981-3500.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Greenfield Village: chlorine 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's record shows no health-based violations for Greenfield Village 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 December 2025, the 90th-percentile lead result at Greenfield Village was 1.4 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 1.6 ppb, in the period ending December 2021.
EPA has 7 sampling periods on file for Greenfield Village 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 Greenfield Village sent EPA, 2,222 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 2,222 |
| Not lead | 0 |
| All lines | 2,222 |
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 2 samples of the water entering the pipes of Greenfield Village in 2025 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 Greenfield Village (latest sample March 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 Greenfield Village's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 14.8 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 40.8 µg/L and the highest single sample was 40.8 µg/L, from 15 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 3.7 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 16.8 µg/L and the highest single sample was 16.8 µg/L, from 15 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 14.8 µg/L (2019) | 40.8 µg/L | 40.8 µg/L | 15 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 3.7 µg/L | 16.8 µg/L | 16.8 µg/L | 15 |
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 9 samples was 3.8 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2014; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 2.38 mg/L. No sample was over the limit of 10 mg/L. Nitrate above 10 is unsafe for infants.
Arsenic was not detected in 3 samples (limit 10 µg/L).
| Contaminant | Samples | Highest result | Limit | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 9 | 3.8 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 0 |
| Arsenic | 3 | 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 3 samples each.
| Compound | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzene | 5 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 5 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 5 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 5 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) | 5 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Vinyl chloride | 2 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | 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 3 of 3 samples, highest 77 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine, alachlor, 2,4-D, chromium, cadmium, mercury, selenium, and thallium, in 3 samples each.
| 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 | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Cadmium | Metal | 5 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Barium | Metal | 2,000 µg/L | 3 | 3 of 3 | 77 µg/L | 0 |
| Mercury | Metal | 2 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Selenium | Metal | 50 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Thallium | Metal | 2 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | 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, 6 of 577 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Greenfield Village tested positive (1.04%); in 2019, the last year on file, 3 of 73 did. E. coli was never found in the 445 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 Greenfield Village has fluoride from natural sources, but at a level below what is recommended for preventing tooth decay, and does not adjust it. The level it reports is 0.2 mg/L.
EPA's treatment table lists no fluoridation step at Greenfield Village.
Measured fluoride: every sample at the plant's entry points in 2018 was below the 0.2 mg/L reporting limit; detected samples in earlier years ran from 0.24 to 0.26 mg/L across 3 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 Greenfield Village, last sampled in 2025 (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 Greenfield Village for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $572 a year, about $48 a month.
The sewer bill in the same survey is $712 a year at 5,000 gallons a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $319 | $491 |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $572 | $712 |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $876 | $977 |
The survey lists it as “Greenfield”. 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 Greenfield Village comes from the utility's own map.
Counting the people who live in the ZIP codes it overlaps, this atlas estimates 4,524 residents are inside the boundary, 98% of the 4,600 people Greenfield Village 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 OH3600312 (EPA ECHO).
Notable facts: greenfieldohio.net, data.epa.gov, en.wikipedia.org, cms9files.revize.com
History: en.wikipedia.org, data.epa.gov, cms9files.revize.com, sciotovalleyguardian.com
Water quality: data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov
Planned work: cms9files.revize.com, timesgazette.com
Capital projects: sciotovalleyguardian.com, highlandcountypress.com
Rates: cms9files.revize.com, codelibrary.amlegal.com, timesgazette.com
Sewers: sciotovalleyguardian.com, highlandcountypress.com, cms9files.revize.com
Treatment: data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov
Supply stress: data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov, en.wikipedia.org, sciotovalleyguardian.com
