Water system
Willard City
EPA ID OH3901511 · Huron County · 7,099 people served · owned by a local government
Willard City treats its own water from West Branch Huron River, stored in Willard's upground reservoir.
The system's record
- Water bodies
- West Branch Huron River, Willard City Upground Reservoir
- Raw intakes
- Reservoir
W Branch Huron River - Serves
- 7,099 people · Huron County
- EPA ID
- OH3901511
About this area's water
Did you know
- Willard treats river water only after pumping it roughly 3 miles into a man-made 215-acre, 2.3-billion-gallon upground reservoir -- effectively a giant pre-settling basin before the plant ever sees it.
- The city is a regional wholesaler, not just a retailer: its 2025 CCR says the system serves about 9,255 people across Willard, Celeryville, New Haven, the Village of Plymouth and rural customers, and Northern Ohio Rural…
- In May 1998 the Willard plant was picked out of roughly 6,000 Ohio water plants for the state's Outstanding Public Water System Award.
- A single April 2026 storm triggered a 15-hour combined sewer overflow that released 7.78 million gallons into Jacob Creek.
History6
- 1897Willard's Water Department was established on October 7, 1897; C. H. Hevey served as the first superintendent.
- 1898The city's first water treatment plant was constructed.
- 1970The current Class III surface water treatment plant at 540 Central Ave was originally built.
- 1998In May 1998 the Willard Water Plant was selected out of roughly 6,000 Ohio plants for the state's 'Outstanding Public Water System Award.'
- 2004The water treatment plant was upgraded.
- 2025Ohio EPA sent the city two warning letters (5/27/25 and 9/3/25) over missed lead service line inventory deadlines; the city notified the public and submitted an acceptable inventory on August 4, 2025.
Source: willardohio.govwillardohio.gov
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Raw water is drawn from an intake on the West Branch of the Huron River and pumped about 3 miles to the 215-acre, 2.3-billion-gallon Willard Up-ground Reservoir east of town, then treated at a Class III surface water plant rated at 3.2 MGD design capacity (currently averaging about 1.3 MGD).…
Source: willardohio.govwillardohio.gov
Water pressure
Not published. The city posts a water FAQ, water rules and regulations, and a bill-explainer document, none of which state a distribution system pressure; no psi figure appears in…
Source: willardohio.govwillardohio.gov
What it costs
$5.50 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $43 a month for water.
Inside-city residential rates effective January 1, 2026 (3/4" meter): $5.60 monthly base + $5.50 per 1,000 gallons for the first 500,000 gallons ($2.85 per 1,000 above that) + a…
Source: willardohio.govwillardohio.gov
Water quality & impurities9
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 53.4-58.0 ppb; no violation, but the highest single result sits at about 73% of the MCL -- the closest any 2025… | 58.0 ppb (LRAA) | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Range 15.5-18.2 ppb; no violation. | 18.2 ppb (LRAA) | 60 | 2025 |
| Fluoride Range 0.84-1.26 ppm; added for dental health. | 0.99 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
| Nitrate Range 0.18-1.66 ppm; agricultural runoff is a named threat in the source protection area. | 0.86 ppm | 10 | 2025 |
| Barium No violation. | 0.031 ppm | 2 | 2025 |
| Turbidity Highest recorded result 0.20 NTU, range 0.03-0.20; 100% of monthly samples met the limit. | 0.20 NTU | 0.3 NTU in 95%… | 2025 |
| Total chlorine residual Range 1.52-1.95 ppm. | 1.749 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Lead Zero of 20 samples above the action level; one sample above the 2.0 ppb detection limit at 2.1 ppb. | 0 ppb (90th… | 15 (action… | 2025 |
| Copper Zero of 20 samples above the action level. | 0.084 ppm (90th… | 1.3 (action… | 2025 |
Source: willardohio.gov
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0 ppb in 2026 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA health-based violations since 2015:
- 2024Lead and Copper Rule Revisions · lead service line inventory missing or incomplete (a records requirement, not a lead test result) · returned to compliance
2 violations 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); 1 health-based.
Supply stress
Water supply itself is not constrained: the plant's 3.2 MGD design capacity is well above current production of about 1.3 MGD, and the 2.3-billion-gallon upground reservoir buffers river flow. The real stress is wet-weather sewer capacity. Willard runs a combined sewer system, and screened combined sewage overflows to Jacob Creek during…
Source: willardohio.govwillardohio.gov
Sewers
Sanitary
City-owned wastewater treatment plant with a 7.2 MGD maximum capacity, 4.5 MGD design daily flow and an annual daily average of about 2.0 MGD. Treatment is preliminary screening, grease removal, grit separation and septage receiving, then aerobic vertical loop reactors, clarification, UV disinfection and cascade aeration; sludge goes…
Storm
Combined sewer system with a 17.6-million-gallon combined sewage/stormwater holding lagoon at 611 Keefer Street, equipped with screening and grit removal. Storm overflow from the lagoon discharges to Jacob Creek, which flows into Holiday Lakes; the city's CSO…
Source: willardohio.govwillardohio.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
- 44890 · Willard67% 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
Willard City does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
1 system on record buys water from Willard City: Plymouth Village.
What the records show about Willard City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Willard City as owned by a local government. It has 3,171 service connections and serves 7,099 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 419-933-2591.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Willard 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 counts 1 health-based violation for Willard 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 2 violations 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); 1 health-based.
| Year | Contaminant or rule | Kind | Measured | Limit | Status in EPA's record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | lead service line inventory missing or incomplete (a records requirement, not a lead test result) | not on file | not on file | 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 June 2026, the 90th-percentile lead result at Willard 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 2.4 ppb, in the period ending December 2020.
EPA has 6 sampling periods on file for Willard 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 Willard City sent EPA, 2,679 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 142 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 42 |
| Unknown material | 826 |
| Not lead | 1,669 |
| All lines | 2,679 |
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 6 samples of the water entering the pipes of Willard 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 Willard 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 Willard City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 34.3 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 60.8 µg/L and the highest single sample was 120.6 µg/L, from 72 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 15.4 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 29.9 µg/L and the highest single sample was 42.6 µg/L, from 72 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 34.3 µg/L (2019) | 60.8 µg/L | 120.6 µg/L | 72 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 15.4 µg/L | 29.9 µg/L | 42.6 µg/L | 72 |
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 1.21 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2016; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 1.05 mg/L. 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 | 1.21 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 34 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine, alachlor, chromium, cadmium, mercury, selenium, and thallium, in 8 samples each.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 8 | 0 of 8 | 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 | 34 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, 0 of 825 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Willard City tested positive (0%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 96 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 Willard City adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Willard 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 0.75 to 0.94 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 Willard 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 28 times in 245 raw-water samples, across 2 bloom seasons (2017 to 2024); the highest raw-water result was 5 µg/L on November 8, 2017. The highest raw-water result since 2024 was 0.564 µg/L.
Microcystin was never detected in treated water (109 samples).
In all, 354 samples from 2016 to 2026, the latest on August 24, 2026.
| Water | Samples | Detections | Highest result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw water, at the intake | 245 | 28 | 5 µg/L |
| Treated water | 109 | 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 Willard City for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $521 a year, about $43 a month.
The sewer bill in the same survey is $707 a year at 5,000 gallons a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $359 | $439 |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $521 | $707 |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $715 | $1,030 |
The survey lists it as “Willard”. 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 Willard 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 7,258 residents are inside the boundary, 102% of the 7,099 people Willard 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 OH3901511 (EPA ECHO).
Willard City's own pages: willardohio.gov, norw.org
Notable facts: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov, norw.org, willardohio.gov
History: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov
Water quality: willardohio.gov
Water pressure: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov
Rates: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov
Sewers: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov
Treatment: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov
Supply stress: willardohio.gov, willardohio.gov
