Water system
Amherst City
EPA ID OH4700003 · Lorain County · 11,797 people served · owned by a local government
Amherst City buys its water from Elyria Water Department.
The system's record
Also connected to Lorain City (Lake Erie), used as a secondary or emergency supply.
- Water bodies
- Lake Erie
- Raw intakes
- Elyria Department Lake Eri
- Serves
- 68,000 people · Lorain County
- EPA ID
- OH4700411
About this area's water
Did you know
- Amherst sits 2.5 miles from Lake Erie and still owns no piece of the lake: it buys every gallon finished from two neighboring cities rather than building an intake of its own.
- The 'Elyria' water plant that supplies part of Amherst is not in Elyria - it is an Elyria-owned plant at 3628 West Erie Avenue inside the City of Lorain.
- Amherst's water bill has a line item, the Water Supply Cost, that changes every single month because it is a straight pass-through of what Lorain and Elyria charge that month.
- The posted Amherst rate schedule still carries an effective date of January 1, 2015 - the fixed part of the bill has not been re-legislated in a decade; the variable WSC does the moving.
- Before it was a Cleveland-area suburb, Amherst billed itself as the 'Sandstone Center of the World,' and the quarrying motto is still the city's.
History5
- 1811Pioneer settler Jacob Shupe arrived in the area that became Amherst; the downtown area was settled by Josiah Harris in 1818.
- 1836Village plat recorded as the 'town plat of Amherst'; it became 'Amherstville' around 1839, then 'North Amherst', and finally 'Amherst' again in 1909.
- late 1800sAmherst became known as the 'Sandstone Center of the World' on the strength of its quarrying industry.
- 2015Current water rate schedule took effect January 1, 2015: $6.58 for the first 3,000 gallons inside city, then $3.02 per 1,000 gallons plus the WSC surcharge.
- 2026City distributed its 2025 Consumer Confidence Report, stating it is a purchase surface water system buying all of its water from the cities of Lorain and Elyria and holding a current, unconditional…
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Amherst treats no water of its own. It is a consecutive (purchase) surface water system that buys finished Lake Erie water from the City of Lorain and the City of Elyria and distributes it; its CCR carries Amherst's own distribution-system sampling plus the reports of both suppliers. The plants…
Source: amherstohio.org
Water pressure
Not published. Neither Amherst's utilities pages nor its CCR give service pressures, pressure zones, or storage figures.
Source: amherstohio.orgamherstohio.org
What it costs
$3.02 per 1,000 gallons
City of Amherst published rate schedule, effective January 1, 2015. Inside city: $6.58 covers the first 3,000 gallons, then $3.02 per 1,000 gallons PLUS a 'Water Supply Cost'…
Water quality & impurities5
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range of detections 17.7-74 ppb - the tightest margin in Amherst's report, a consequence of buying already-chlorinated… | 55.9 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Range 6-31.4 ppb. By-product of drinking water disinfection. | 20.28 ppb | 60 | 2025 |
| Total chlorine Range 1.0-1.54 ppm. Water additive used to control microbes. | 1.29 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Lead 0 out of 30 samples exceeded the 15 ppb action level. | 2.5 (90th… ppb | 15 (action… | 2024 |
| Copper 0 out of 30 samples exceeded the 1.3 ppm action level. | 0.083 (90th… ppm | 1.3 (action… | 2024 |
Source: amherstohio.org
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 2.5 ppb in 2024 (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).
EPA compliance record · Elyria Water Department (treats the water)
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0 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 required testing that was missed or reported late.
Supply stress
Supply volume is not a constraint - Lake Erie is 2.5 miles away and effectively inexhaustible - but Amherst has no plant, no raw water source and no independent production capacity at all: 100% of its water is purchased finished from two upstream utilities, Lorain and Elyria. Everything that happens at those plants passes straight…
Sewers
Sanitary
Billed by the city's Utilities Department on metered water consumption, with a published minimum of $30.32/month inside the city and $45.48/month outside. Amherst does not publish the name, capacity or receiving stream of the treating plant on its utilities or rate pages; Ohio EPA's 2023 rate survey lists Amherst as providing sewer…
Storm
No separate stormwater utility fee appears on the city's published water and sewer rate schedule. The Utilities Department maintains stormwater education pages, consistent with routine MS4 public-outreach obligations, but no fee, permit detail or program…
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
- 44001 · Amherst78% of residents
Also present in 2 more ZIP codes
- 44035 · Elyria1% of residents
- 44053 · Lorain1% 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
Amherst City buys its water from Elyria Water Department.
No other system is on record buying water from Amherst City.
What the records show about Amherst City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Amherst City as owned by a local government. It has 6,100 service connections and serves 11,797 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 440-988-7625.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
Amherst City buys water that Elyria Water Department treats first, so the steps that count are the seller's. EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Elyria Water Department: corrosion control, coagulation and settling, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, fluoridation, powdered activated carbon, and sand or media filtration.
Amherst City 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 Amherst City 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 2024, the 90th-percentile lead result at Amherst City was 2.5 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
EPA has 3 sampling periods on file for Amherst 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 Amherst City sent EPA, 6,502 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 3,877 |
| Not lead | 2,625 |
| All lines | 6,502 |
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 18 samples of the water entering the pipes of Amherst City in 2023 to 2024 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 Elyria Water Department (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 Amherst City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 49.1 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 57.7 µg/L and the highest single sample was 107.4 µg/L, from 128 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 20.4 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 26.3 µg/L and the highest single sample was 82 µg/L, from 128 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 49.1 µg/L (2019) | 57.7 µg/L | 107.4 µg/L | 128 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 20.4 µg/L | 26.3 µg/L | 82 µg/L | 128 |
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 Amherst City buys is treated by Elyria Water Department, so the results below are Elyria Water Department's.
Nitrate: the highest of 96 samples was 1.31 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2013; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 1.17 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 | 1.31 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 Elyria Water Department.
Solvents and fuels
The water Amherst City buys is treated by Elyria Water Department, so the results below are Elyria Water Department'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 Elyria Water Department.
Farm chemicals and metals
The water Amherst City buys is treated by Elyria Water Department, so the results below are Elyria Water Department's.
EPA's file holds results for 8 of the nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: atrazine in 1 of 8 samples, highest 0.28 µg/L (limit 3); barium in 8 of 8 samples, highest 20 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: 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 | 1 of 8 | 0.28 µg/L | 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 | 20 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 Elyria Water Department.
Bacteria in the pipes
From 2012 to 2019, 2 of 963 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Amherst City tested positive (0.21%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 120 did. E. coli was never found in the 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 Amherst City buys its water from Elyria Water Department, a system that adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Elyria Water Department, which treats the water Amherst City buys.
Measured fluoride: 0.93 mg/L on average leaving the plants of Elyria Water Department, which supplies Amherst City, in 2019 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.93 to 1.17 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 8 UCMR 5 samples at Amherst 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.
Algal toxins
The water Amherst City buys is treated by Elyria Water Department, so the results below are Elyria Water Department'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 13 times in 245 raw-water samples, across 4 bloom seasons (2016 to 2023); the highest raw-water result was 0.98 µg/L on September 20, 2016. There has been no raw-water detection since 2024.
Microcystin was never detected in treated water (274 samples).
In all, 519 samples from 2016 to 2026, the latest on August 25, 2026.
| Water | Samples | Detections | Highest result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw water, at the intake | 245 | 13 | 0.98 µg/L |
| Treated water | 274 | 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 Amherst City for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $151 a year, about $13 a month.
The sewer bill in the same survey is $300 a year at 5,000 gallons a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $79 | $300 |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $151 | $300 |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $260 | $480 |
The survey lists it as “Amherst”. 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 Amherst 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 17,310 residents are inside the boundary, 147% of the 11,797 people Amherst 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 — 3 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 OH4700003 (EPA ECHO).
Amherst City's own pages: cityofelyria.org, epicwaterfilters.com
Notable facts: amherstohio.org, amherstohio.org, en.wikipedia.org
History: en.wikipedia.org, amherstohio.org, amherstohio.org
Water quality: amherstohio.org
Water pressure: amherstohio.org, amherstohio.org
Rates: amherstohio.org, dam.assets.ohio.gov
Sewers: amherstohio.org, dam.assets.ohio.gov, amherstohio.org
Treatment: amherstohio.org
Supply stress: amherstohio.org, amherstohio.org, en.wikipedia.org
