Water system
Bellefontaine City
EPA ID OH4600112 · Logan County · 13,249 people served · owned by a local government
Bellefontaine City treats its own water from local wells (shallow carbonate aquifer).
The system's record
- Aquifer
- local carbonate bedrock aquifer
- Active wells
- 5
- Serves
- 13,249 people · Logan County
- EPA ID
- OH4600112
About this area's water
Did you know
- Bellefontaine is nicknamed 'The Peak of Ohio' because Campbell Hill, the highest point in the state, lies inside the city limits — yet Ohio EPA's susceptibility analysis for the city's wellfield blames the flat…
- In 1891 George Bartholomew's Portland cement process paved Court Avenue in Bellefontaine, the first concrete street in the United States; it has held its original pavement for more than a century.
- The city's drinking water comes from a carbonate aquifer whose water table sits less than 30 feet below the surface in most places — shallow enough that Ohio EPA counts the depth itself as a susceptibility factor.
- Volatile organic compounds turned up in Bellefontaine's raw and treated water between 1990 and 1998; none have been detected since the new plant opened in 1998, which still runs a treatment step dedicated to keeping…
- Honda is Bellefontaine's largest modern employer, with area manufacturing at Marysville, East Liberty and Troy.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgcore-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comci.bellefontaine.oh.us
History5
- 1820Bellefontaine platted by European American settlers; incorporated by the legislature in 1835. The city's bicentennial logo, used on its own water quality report, reads 'Celebrating 200 Years…
- 1891Court Avenue paved in Portland cement concrete using George Bartholomew's process — the first concrete street in the United States. It still carries its original pavement.
- 1990Ohio EPA sampling of Bellefontaine's raw and treated water between 1990 and 1998 found detectable levels of volatile organic compounds, a finding that still drives the wellfield's 'highly…
- 1998The city's current water treatment plant was completed and put into service. No organic compounds have been detected in samples collected since; the plant operates a treatment system specifically to…
- 2024City held an unconditioned license to operate the water system and participated in rounds 1 and 2 of the federal UCMR 5 unregulated contaminant monitoring.
Source: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comen.wikipedia.org
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Municipal wells in the city's West wellfield draw from a shallow carbonate bedrock aquifer (depth to water usually less than 30 feet), west of Lewis Ratleff Park. Water is treated at the plant placed in service in 1998, which includes a treatment system operated specifically to keep volatile…
Source: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comci.bellefontaine.oh.us
Water pressure
Not published. No system pressure figure, pressure-zone map, or hydraulic model appears in the CCR, the codified ordinances, or any city page; the city publishes no engineering…
Source: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comcodelibrary.amlegal.com
What it costs
$3.10 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $28 a month for water.
Codified Ordinance 923.01(a), rate schedule adopted by Ord. 25-63 (passed 9-23-25). Effective January 1, 2026: a $16.05 monthly operations/administrative fee plus $3.10 per 1,000…
Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper (90th percentile) 1 of 30 samples exceeded the 1.3 mg/L copper action level. At 63% of the AL this is the most elevated regulated result… | 0.822 mg/L | 1.3 (action… | 2024 |
| Barium Naturally occurring in the carbonate aquifer; about 8% of the MCL. No violation. | 0.155 mg/L | 2 | 2024 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) 47 ppb against an 80 ppb MCL; range 40-60 ppb. Disinfection byproduct, no violation, but the highest-percentage-of-MCL… | 0.047 mg/L | 0.080 | 2024 |
| Fluoride Range 0.79-1.3 mg/L. Naturally occurring plus additive for dental health; close to the 0.7 ppm optimum. No violation. | 0.86 mg/L | 4 | 2024 |
| Chlorine Range 0.3-1.6 mg/L. Water additive used to control microbes. | 0.8 mg/L | 4 (MRDL) | 2024 |
| Gross alpha (excluding radon and… Range 3-3 pCi/L. Erosion of natural deposits; monitored less than annually, so the most recent sample year is 2021. No… | 3 pCi/L | 15 | 2021 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 3 ppb. 0 of 30 samples exceeded the 15 ppb action level; two locations were resampled and returned within the action… | 0.003 mg/L | 0.015 (action… | 2024 |
| Nitrate About 1.5% of the MCL — remarkably low for an Ohio agricultural county, and in sharp contrast to the Trenton and… | 0.148 mg/L | 10 | 2024 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) 5 ppb; range ND-6 ppb. The CCR's MCL cell for HAA5 misprints as 'N/D'; the federal MCL is 0.060 mg/L. No violation. | 0.005 mg/L | 0.060 | 2024 |
| Mercury Not detected at or above the reporting limit. | ND mg/L | 0.002 | 2024 |
Source: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 4.2 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA health-based violations since 2015:
- 2026Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule · no certified operator · returned to compliance
8 violations of any kind logged since 2020: 1 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 6 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.
Projects & plans1
Planned or needed
- Multi-year water rate escalation to fund capital improvement development · 2026 · planned
Ord. 25-63 (passed 9-23-25) sets three consecutive annual increases through 2028. Codified Ordinance 923.01 states the rates exist 'for the purpose of…
Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com
Supply stress
Ohio EPA's source water assessment rates the aquifer supplying Bellefontaine's West wellfield as HIGHLY susceptible to contamination, for four stated reasons: water quality results indicate impacts of volatile organic compounds; the carbonate aquifer has a shallow depth to water, in most areas less than 30 feet below ground; the…
Sewers
Sanitary
City-owned and operated. The Wastewater Treatment Plant sits on the southwest side of town at 610 South Troy Road and consists of two fine screens, two oxidation ditches, three secondary clarifiers, and UV disinfection; biosolids handling uses three aerated waste activated sludge holding tanks, four drying beds, and an Ashbrook belt…
Storm
The city operates a formal storm drainage utility under Codified Ordinances Chapter 927 (Storm Water Drainage System), financed by user fees based on Equivalent Residential Units — a property's impervious area measured against the average single-family…
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
- 43311 · Bellefontaine71% 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
Bellefontaine 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 Bellefontaine City.
What the records show about Bellefontaine City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Bellefontaine City as owned by a local government. It has 6,252 service connections and serves 13,249 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 2025. Its office telephone on EPA's record is 937-593-6121.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Bellefontaine City: aeration, corrosion control, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, fluoridation, 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 Bellefontaine 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 8 violations of any kind since 2020: 1 for required testing that was missed or reported late; 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | no certified operator | 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 December 2025, the 90th-percentile lead result at Bellefontaine City was 4.2 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 6.8 ppb, in the period ending December 2020.
EPA has 8 sampling periods on file for Bellefontaine City since 2016, the first ending in 2018; 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 Bellefontaine City sent EPA, 6,363 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 300 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 4,694 |
| Not lead | 1,369 |
| All lines | 6,363 |
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 3 samples of the water entering the pipes of Bellefontaine City in 2024 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 3.3 ng/L.
Ohio EPA's own statewide sampling tested 1 plant of Bellefontaine City (latest sample October 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 Bellefontaine City as sampled, most recently April 2026.
| 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 Bellefontaine City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 20.5 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 25.3 µg/L and the highest single sample was 38.4 µg/L, from 52 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 0 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 3.2 µg/L and the highest single sample was 8.2 µg/L, from 52 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 20.5 µg/L (2019) | 25.3 µg/L | 38.4 µg/L | 52 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 0 µg/L | 3.2 µg/L | 8.2 µg/L | 52 |
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 0.23 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2017; in 2019, the last year sampled, nitrate was not detected. 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 | 0.23 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 0 |
| Arsenic | 3 | not detected | 10 µg/L | 0 |
| Combined radium | 1 | 1.5 pCi/L | 5 pCi/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 13 samples each.
| Compound | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzene | 5 µg/L | 13 | 0 of 13 | not detected | 0 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 5 µg/L | 13 | 0 of 13 | not detected | 0 |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 5 µg/L | 13 | 0 of 13 | not detected | 0 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 5 µg/L | 13 | 0 of 13 | not detected | 0 |
| Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) | 5 µg/L | 13 | 0 of 13 | not detected | 0 |
| Vinyl chloride | 2 µg/L | 13 | 0 of 13 | 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 3 of 3 samples, highest 150 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine in 2 samples, alachlor in 2 samples, chromium in 3 samples, cadmium in 3 samples, mercury in 3 samples, selenium in 3 samples, thallium in 3 samples.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 2 | 0 of 2 | 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 | 150 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, 3 of 1,448 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Bellefontaine City tested positive (0.21%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 186 did. E. coli was found in 2 of 3 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 Bellefontaine City adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Bellefontaine City.
Measured fluoride: 0.98 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2018 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.98 to 1.14 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 Bellefontaine City, last sampled in 2024 (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.
How well the service area is mapped
EPA estimated the service area of Bellefontaine 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 14,180 residents are inside the boundary, 107% of the 13,249 people Bellefontaine 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 OH4600112 (EPA ECHO).
Bellefontaine City's own pages: ci.bellefontaine.oh.us
Notable facts: en.wikipedia.org, core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com, ci.bellefontaine.oh.us
History: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com, en.wikipedia.org
Water quality: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
Planned work: codelibrary.amlegal.com
Water pressure: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com, codelibrary.amlegal.com
Rates: codelibrary.amlegal.com
Sewers: ci.bellefontaine.oh.us, codelibrary.amlegal.com
Treatment: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com, ci.bellefontaine.oh.us
Supply stress: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
