Water system
Wadsworth City
EPA ID OH5201712 · Medina County · 24,356 people served · owned by a local government
Wadsworth City treats its own water from Local groundwater wells (sandstone bedrock + Chippewa Creek buried-valley aquifer).
The system's record
- Aquifer
- Chippewa Creek buried-valley aquifer / Mississippian sandstone bedrock aquifer
- Active wells
- 12
- Serves
- 24,356 people · Medina County
- EPA ID
- OH5201712
About this area's water
Did you know
- Part of Wadsworth's water comes from a well field entirely outside Medina County - in Chippewa Township, Wayne County, about 6.5 miles away - drilled into the Chippewa Creek buried-valley aquifer, which can yield…
- Getting that well field online took a fight: a citizens' group called Save Our Water challenged the project, and the city settled with monitoring requirements attached before the well could proceed.
- The city mixes deep sandstone bedrock wells with shallow glacial buried-valley wells specifically so water quality stays consistent through the seasons.
- Wadsworth's wastewater plant discharges into the River Styx - a real creek in Medina County.
- The plant's 50-year-old floating digester cover corroded out of shape and jammed inside the tank; before picking a $2.3 million replacement, Wadsworth staff drove to Kent to see its ballast-type cover and to Lakewood to…
History6
- 1814Wadsworth founded (March 1, 1814), named for Gen. Elijah Wadsworth, Revolutionary War/War of 1812 officer and the largest landowner in what became Medina County.
- 1876Incorporated as a village (January 1, 1876).
- 1931Became a city (January 1, 1931).
- 1953City wastewater treatment plant originally constructed.
- 1974-1975Current Water Treatment Plant at 120 Maple St. built in 1974 and put into service in 1975, designed for 3 MGD.
- 1977Main primary anaerobic digester (60 ft diameter) built at the WWTP; rehabilitated in 2004 and 2008-2009.
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
All groundwater from 12 city wells: 7 deep sandstone bedrock wells (~250 ft) in the southeast corner of the city between Broad Street and Johnson Road, 4 shallow sand-and-gravel wells (~75 ft) in the valley southwest of the city near the soccer fields and airport, and 1 shallow sand-and-gravel well…
Source: wadsworthcity.comwadsworthcity.com
Water pressure
Not published - no psi or pressure-zone figures appear on the city's water pages or in the 2023 CCR. The only indirect evidence is a capital project named the 'Low Side Water…
What it costs
$9.63 per 1,000 gallons
Typical household bill about $42 a month for water.
From the city's '2026 Water Rate Schedule,' effective February 1, 2026 (posted as an image on wadsworthcity.com/192). Rates are quoted PER GALLON in usage blocks. Inside city…
Source: wadsworthcity.comwadsworthcity.comdam.assets.ohio.gov
Water quality & impurities7
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride Range 0.77-1.20; added to promote strong teeth. | 1.06 ppm | 4.0 (MCL) | 2023 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 22.8-36.7; chlorination by-product and the highest detection relative to its limit in Wadsworth's table. | 36.7 ppb | 80 (MCL) | 2023 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Range 6.5-7.2. | 7.2 ppb | 60 (MCL) | 2023 |
| Total chlorine residual Range 0.68-0.92. | 0.81 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2023 |
| Barium Erosion of natural deposits; drilling/metal refinery discharge. | 0.013 ppm | 2 (MCL) | 2021 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 0 of 30 homes above the action level. | <2 ppb | 15 (action… | 2023 |
| Copper (90th percentile) 0 of 30 homes above the action level. | 0.094 ppm | 1.3 (action… | 2023 |
Source: wadsworthcity.com
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 0 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
Projects & plans12
Recent and current work
- Replacement of Primary Digester Cover (WWTP) · $2.3 million · 2026-2027 · under construction
Ohio EPA WPCLF loan CS390948-0012 at 3.24% over 20 years; Limited Environmental Review/FNSI issued June 5, 2026. Replaces the stuck 50-year-old steel-truss… - Lead Service Line Verification, Phase I · $350,000 · 2025 · under construction
Awarded to Petty Farms, starting around late October 2025 with roughly three months' duration; funded by an awarded WSRLA loan. Pursuant to Ohio EPA findings… - Bulk Water Fill Station and adjoining water looping · 2025-2026 · under construction
Awarded to Cavanaugh Building Corporation; site construction about $150,000, the fill station unit about $77,000, plus roughly $300,000 for the adjoining water… - Water Meter Improvement Project (endpoint replacement) · 2025 · under construction
Roughly 5,000 meter endpoints replaced by October 2025 (goal had been 1,000/month). Mis-assigned endpoints and a misplaced decimal produced wildly wrong reads… - Tolbert Street Improvement Project · 2025
Reported about 85% complete in October 2025 with less than a month of work left; no later status or cost found in published minutes.
Source: wadsworthcity.comdam.assets.ohio.gov
Planned or needed
- Lead Service Line Verification, Phase II · $1.2 million · 2026 · planned
Much larger second verification phase proposed for 2026, per Ohio EPA findings. - Low Side Water Tower (design) · $530,000 · 2025-2026 · planned
Design RFQ issued October 2025; about $530,000 budgeted for the design consultant, though the line item likely also covers inspection services, so the design… - Good/High waterline design (WSRLA loan application) · $411,000 · 2026 · planned
WSRLA loan application for 2026 design costs of the split Good Street and High Street waterline projects; acknowledged by Ohio EPA as of October 2025. - West Good Street waterline replacement, Phase I · $1.2 million · 2026-2027 · proposed
About 2,300 linear feet, upsizing 6-inch to 8-inch main. Not yet approved by Council as of October 2025. - High Street waterline replacement · $4.1 million · 2027-2028 · proposed
About 5,500 linear feet of various-sized replacements moving to 12-inch main. Not yet approved by Council as of October 2025. - General Water Looping (Airport Drive / Rittman Road) · $1.7 million · unknown · proposed
3,000 linear feet of 8-inch main to eliminate a dead-end system that causes water quality problems and to improve interconnection and fire flows; out for… - 2025 SSO Reduction Project (design) · $185,000 · 2025-2026 · planned
WPCLF loan application for design; direct inflow treatments in SSO areas 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 plus line repairs in areas 5, 7 and 10, under a 15-year Ohio EPA…
Source: wadsworthcity.com
Supply stress
Not a scarcity story, but not stress-free either. Supply is entirely local groundwater from 12 wells, and the city deliberately blends deep sandstone bedrock wells with shallow buried-valley wells to hold quality steady year-round. Peak-demand capacity drove development of the Chippewa Creek well field 6.5 miles away in Wayne County…
Sewers
Sanitary
City-owned wastewater treatment plant at 1015 Airport Dr., originally constructed in 1953 and rated Class IV, with an average daily design capacity of 5 MGD, peak hydraulic capacity of 10 MGD and an actual average daily flow of about 3.8 MGD. Treatment train: mechanical screening, vortex grit removal, primary clarification, aeration…
Storm
The city runs a separate stormwater utility - Fund 602, Storm Water Operating Fund, appears as its own enterprise fund in the 2026 budget - alongside an NPDES stormwater program. No stormwater fee amount or specific flooding problem was found in the sources…
Source: wadsworthcity.comdam.assets.ohio.govwadsworthcity.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
- 44281 · Wadsworth71% 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
Wadsworth City does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
1 system on record buys water from Wadsworth City: Medina Co/sharon-wadsworth.
What the records show about Wadsworth City
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Wadsworth City as owned by a local government. It has 9,982 service connections and serves 24,356 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 330-335-2832.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Wadsworth City: aeration, corrosion control, coagulation and settling, chlorine disinfection, fluoridation, lime softening, 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's record shows no health-based violations for Wadsworth City since 2015.
EPA logs no violations of any kind for Wadsworth City since 2020.
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 Wadsworth 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.
EPA has 6 sampling periods on file for Wadsworth 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 Wadsworth City sent EPA, 9,367 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 351 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 212 |
| Unknown material | 1,863 |
| Not lead | 6,941 |
| All lines | 9,367 |
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 Wadsworth City in 2024 to 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 Wadsworth City (latest sample August 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 Wadsworth City as sampled, most recently May 2026.
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 Wadsworth City's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 30.1 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 37.5 µg/L and the highest single sample was 44.8 µg/L, from 37 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 0 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 17.6 µg/L and the highest single sample was 18.4 µg/L, from 37 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 30.1 µg/L (2019) | 37.5 µg/L | 44.8 µg/L | 37 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 0 µg/L | 17.6 µg/L | 18.4 µg/L | 37 |
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 8 samples was 0.55 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2018; 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) | 8 | 0.55 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 8 of the nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: barium in 2 of 3 samples, highest 22 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine in 2 samples, alachlor in 2 samples, chromium in 7 samples, cadmium in 7 samples, mercury in 4 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 | 7 | 0 of 7 | not detected | 0 |
| Cadmium | Metal | 5 µg/L | 7 | 0 of 7 | not detected | 0 |
| Barium | Metal | 2,000 µg/L | 3 | 2 of 3 | 22 µg/L | 0 |
| Mercury | Metal | 2 µg/L | 4 | 0 of 4 | 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, 1 of 2,591 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Wadsworth City tested positive (0.04%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 322 did. E. coli was never found in the 1 sample 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 Wadsworth City adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Wadsworth City.
Measured fluoride: 0.9 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2018 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.54 to 0.99 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 Wadsworth City, 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.
How well the service area is mapped
The service area drawn on the map for Wadsworth City comes from the utility's own map.
Counting the people who live in the ZIP codes it overlaps, this atlas estimates 23,494 residents are inside the boundary, 96% of the 24,356 people Wadsworth 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 OH5201712 (EPA ECHO).
Wadsworth City's own pages: wadsworthcity.com
Notable facts: wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com, dam.assets.ohio.gov
History: en.wikipedia.org, wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com, dam.assets.ohio.gov
Water quality: wadsworthcity.com
Planned work: wadsworthcity.com
Water pressure: wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com
Capital projects: wadsworthcity.com, dam.assets.ohio.gov
Rates: wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com, dam.assets.ohio.gov
Sewers: wadsworthcity.com, dam.assets.ohio.gov, wadsworthcity.com
Treatment: wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com
Supply stress: wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com, wadsworthcity.com
