Water system
Jefferson Co. W and S District - M
EPA ID OH4101103 · Jefferson County · 13,983 people served · owned by a local government
Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys its water from Toronto.
The system's record
- Water bodies
- Ohio River
- Raw intakes
- Ohio River
- Serves
- 5,676 people · Jefferson County
- EPA ID
- OH4102811
About this area's water Toronto
Did you know
- Toronto, Ohio was originally Newburg Landing, then Sloane's Station after the railroad arrived in 1856, before incorporating in 1881 as Toronto — named for Toronto, Ontario at the suggestion of a local fire-clay…
- Water and sewer are billed at identical rates, so every gallon is effectively charged twice: a 10,000-gallon month costs $136.00 for water and another $136.00 for sewage.
- The city keeps an emergency interconnection with the Jefferson County Water and Sewer District as a backup supply, but has not needed to use it in any recently reported year.
- Titanium Metals Corporation, which arrived in 1957, is the city's major employer — the last chapter of an industrial run that included sewer pipe, terra cotta, paving brick, glass, coal mining, and the American China…
- Toronto sells water wholesale beyond its own borders: its downstream service population of nearly 25,000 is more than four times the roughly 5,700 people inside the city.
History6
- 1856The Cleveland-Pittsburgh Railroad reached the village, then known as Newburg (or Newberg Landing); it was subsequently renamed Sloane's Station for William B. Sloane, who donated land for the station.
- 1881The village incorporated under the name Toronto, after Toronto, Ontario. The name was suggested by pioneer manufacturer Thomas M. Daniels, whose business associate W. F. Dunsbaugh — chief stockholder…
- 1931Toronto incorporated as a city; Harold Smith became its first mayor, and the youngest in the state.
- 1957Titanium Metals Corporation of America (TIMET) arrived, following Hancock Manufacturing in 1945, as the older sewer pipe, terra cotta, brick, glass, and clay industries wound down.
- 1960Population peaked at 7,780; it had fallen to 5,303 by the 2020 census.
- 2019Cryptosporidium detected in 2 of 9 raw Ohio River intake samples during source-water monitoring; not detected in finished water.
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Surface water drawn from the Ohio River and treated at the city's water plant, with the Water Department listed at 950 Main Street and staffed around the clock. The CCRs report Total Organic Carbon percent-removal and turbidity as treatment techniques and a chlorine residual, indicating…
Source: torontooh.govtorontooh.gov
Water pressure
Not published. No pressure figure or pressure-zone map appears in the 2023 or 2025 CCR or on the Water Department page.
What it costs
$13.50 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $55 a month for water.
Effective January 2024. Not a flat rate: the published schedule sets a $28.00 minimum covering the first 2,000 gallons, then $13.50 per additional 1,000 gallons. Sewage is billed…
Source: torontooh.gov
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 55.8-63.2 ppb. A clear improvement on 2023, when TTHM reached 79.4 ppb (range 44.1-79.4) and sat within a whisker… | 63.2 ppb | 80 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Range 14.3-22 ppb. | 14.7 ppb | 60 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Nitrate Range 0.53-1.07 ppm. | 1.07 ppm | 10 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Fluoride Range 0.89-1.06 ppm; listed as a water additive that promotes strong teeth. | 1.06 ppm | 4 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Barium Well below the MCL. | 0.028 ppm | 2 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Chlorine (as Cl2) Range 0.52-0.87 ppm. | 0.77 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Turbidity Range 0.02-0.07 NTU; 100% of monthly samples met the standard. | 0.07 (highest) NTU | TT: 0.3 NTU in… | 2025 |
| Total Organic Carbon (removal ratio) Range 1.11-1.29. Compliant but a tighter margin than 2023, when the minimum ratio was 2.71. | 1.11 ratio of… | TT: must stay… | 2025 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 0 of 20 samples exceeded the action level. Separately, the city was cited in October 2025 for failing to notify… | ND ppb | 15 (action… | 2025 |
| Copper (90th percentile) No samples exceeded the action level. Reported as ND in the 2023 CCR. | 0.005 ppm | 1.3 (action… | 2025 |
Source: torontooh.govtorontooh.gov
EPA compliance record · Jefferson Co. W and S District - M
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0.6 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
8 violations of any kind logged since 2020: 3 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 5 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
EPA compliance record · Toronto (treats the water)
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA health-based violations since 2015:
- 2018Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · turbidity above the limit in a single reading · returned to compliance
2 violations of any kind logged since 2020: 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 & plans1
Recent and current work
- North Pump Station Impact Report · 2026 · completed
A document dated 2 February 2026 listed on the Sewage Department page. It is a report, not a capital project, and its contents are not published online, so no…
Source: torontooh.gov
Supply stress
Ohio EPA's source water assessment rates the Ohio River supply susceptible to contamination from municipal and industrial wastewater discharges, home sewage disposal system discharges, atmospheric deposition, combined sewer overflows, runoff from urban, residential, mining, and agricultural areas, oil and gas production and…
Source: torontooh.govtorontooh.gov
Sewers
Sanitary
City-owned Sewage Department at 1400 S. River Avenue, Toronto, under Superintendent Joe Adamovich. Sewer is billed on the same volumetric schedule as water. Treatment plant capacity, process, receiving stream, and any CSO or consent decree status are not published in available city documents — though the Ohio EPA source water assessment…
Storm
Not detailed in available city documents; no dedicated stormwater fee identified in the published utility rate schedule, which lists only water, sewage, and garbage.
Source: torontooh.govtorontooh.gov
Sourcesverified
Compiled from the utility's own reports and public records, then independently re-checked against primary sources.
Present in 2 ZIP codes
Serves
No ZIP code has Jefferson Co. W and S District - M on record as its main water supplier.
Also present in 2 more ZIP codes
- 43964 · Toronto19% of residents
- 43952 · Steubenville1% 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
Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys its water from Toronto.
2 systems on record buy water from Jefferson Co. W and S District - M: Hopedale Village, Wintersville Village.
What the records show about Jefferson Co. W and S District - M
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Jefferson Co. W and S District - M as owned by a local government. It has 5,955 service connections and serves 13,983 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 740-283-8500.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys water that Toronto treats first, so the steps that count are the seller's. EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Toronto: corrosion control, coagulation and settling, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, fluoridation, powdered activated carbon, and sand or media filtration.
Jefferson Co. W and S District - M adds nothing of its own on that table.
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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M since 2015.
EPA logs 8 violations of any kind since 2020: 3 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 5 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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M was 0.6 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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M 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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M sent EPA, 5,508 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 5,508 |
| Not lead | 0 |
| All lines | 5,508 |
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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M in 2025 and measured 29 PFAS.
PFOA and PFOS were not detected, against a federal limit of 4 ng/L each.
The highest PFAS result was PFBS 3.1 ng/L.
Ohio EPA's own statewide sampling tested 1 plant of Toronto (latest sample June 2020). Not one of the six PFAS tested (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS) was detected.
| 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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 55.9 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 67 µg/L and the highest single sample was 142 µg/L, from 129 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 19.6 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 24.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 53.9 µg/L, from 127 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 55.9 µg/L (2019) | 67 µg/L | 142 µg/L | 129 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 19.6 µg/L | 24.1 µg/L | 53.9 µg/L | 127 |
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
The water Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys is treated by Toronto, so the results below are Toronto's.
Nitrate: the highest of 96 samples was 5.4 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2018; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 1.22 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 | 5.4 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 of Toronto.
Solvents and fuels
The water Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys is treated by Toronto, so the results below are Toronto's.
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 of Toronto.
Farm chemicals and metals
The water Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys is treated by Toronto, so the results below are Toronto's.
EPA's file holds results for 8 of the nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: barium in 6 of 8 samples, highest 32.7 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 | 6 of 8 | 32.7 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 of Toronto.
Bacteria in the pipes
From 2012 to 2019, 4 of 1,446 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Jefferson Co. W and S District - M tested positive (0.28%); in 2019, the last year on file, 2 of 180 did. E. coli was never found in the 10 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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M is fluoridated.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Toronto, which treats the water Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys.
Measured fluoride: 0.99 mg/L on average leaving the plants of Toronto, which supplies Jefferson Co. W and S District - M, in 2019 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.86 to 1.1 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 Jefferson Co. W and S District - M, 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.
Algal toxins
The water Jefferson Co. W and S District - M buys is treated by Toronto, so the results below are Toronto's.
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 1 time in 227 raw-water samples, across 1 bloom season (2018); the highest raw-water result was 1.41 µg/L on March 7, 2018. There has been no raw-water detection since 2024.
Microcystin was never detected in treated water (79 samples).
In all, 306 samples from 2016 to 2026, the latest on August 12, 2026.
| Water | Samples | Detections | Highest result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw water, at the intake | 227 | 1 | 1.41 µg/L |
| Treated water | 79 | 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).
How well the service area is mapped
EPA estimated the service area of Jefferson Co. W and S District - M 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 1,848 residents are inside the boundary, 13% of the 13,983 people Jefferson Co. W and S District - M reports serving. With so much of its territory outside the polygon, part of the system shows on the map as private wells.
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.
On the map
Show this system's territory on the map — 2 ZIP codes 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 OH4101103 (EPA ECHO).
