Water system
Medina Co/southern Water Dist
EPA ID OH5260712 · Medina County · 4,708 people served · owned by a local government
Medina Co/southern Water Dist treats its own water from Groundwater wells (3 wells).
The system's record
The Ohio Department of Health's fluoridation report (CDC My Water's Fluoride) lists Medina Co/southern Water Dist as buying its water from Ashland City; EPA's inventory shows its own sources as primary with Ashland City as an emergency connection. The two records may reflect a blend or a recent switch.
- Active wells
- 3
- Serves
- 4,708 people · Medina County
- EPA ID
- OH5260712
About this area's water
Did you know
- The district is run out of the Medina County Sanitary Engineer's office in Columbia Station, not by either of the two communities it serves.
- In 2025 the county permanently shut down the Westfield well rather than operate it after the state permitted an oil well inside the 300-foot sanitary isolation radius around the wellhead.
- The Westfield Road well was screened less than 20 feet below the surface under a thin clay layer, which is why Ohio EPA rated it highly susceptible to contamination while the deeper Greenwich Road wells, under 40-plus…
- For 217 days in 2025 the district ran on an emergency pipe: the Friendsville and Lafayette Road interconnection to the county's Northwest Water System delivered 67 million gallons.
- The Chippewa Lake wastewater plant that serves the same community was originally built in 1925 as Imhoff tanks and slow sand filtration, and its last real upgrade was an equalization tank in 1995.
History6
- 2020January 21: SDWIS opens a non-health-based 'Other' category violation; no return-to-compliance date is recorded.
- 2022December 7: a second non-health-based 'Other' category violation opens; also with no return-to-compliance date recorded.
- 2025The district receives a significant deficiency violation because an ODNR-permitted oil well was installed inside the 300-foot sanitary isolation radius of the Westfield wellhead. Medina County…
- 2025The Westfield emergency interconnection to the county's Northwest Water System, at Friendsville and Lafayette Roads, was used for 217 days and delivered 67 million gallons.
- 2025December 3: source water protection status begins for the system in SDWIS.
- 2026April 9: Ohio EPA issues a preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact for a $75 million replacement of the Chippewa Lake WWTP, which serves the same Chippewa Lake area.
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Two county-run groundwater plants. The Chippewa Lake Water Plant draws three wells at 7090 Lake Road and, per EPA treatment records, uses packed-tower aeration, pressure sand filtration for both filtration and manganese removal, and pre-hypochlorination. The Westfield Water Plant drew two wells…
Source: medinaco.orgdata.epa.govdata.epa.gov
Water pressure
Not published.
What it costs
Set by the Medina County Sanitary Engineering fee and charge schedule, effective January 1, 2026.
Source: citizenportal.ai
Water quality & impurities10
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 8.6-66.2. The highest reading is 83% of the federal limit, the district's closest approach to any standard. | 66.2 ppb | 80 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Range <2.8-27.8; disinfection by-product. | 27.8 ppb | 60 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Arsenic Range <0.5-2.0; erosion of natural deposits. | 2.0 ppb | 10 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Nitrate (as N) Range <0.19-0.58. | 0.58 ppm | 10 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Nitrite (as N) Range 0.02-0.22. | 0.22 ppm | 1 (MCL) | 2025 |
| Total chlorine residual Range 0.34-2.62. | 0.98 ppm | 4.0 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Barium Range 0.0209-0.0299. | 0.0209 ppm | 2 (MCL) | 2024 |
| Cyanide Range 1-1. | 1 ppb | 200 (MCL) | 2024 |
| Fluoride Range 0.32-0.33. | 0.33 ppm | 4.0 (MCL) | 2024 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 0 of 20 sites above the action level; the county reports no lead, galvanized-requiring-replacement or unknown-material… | 1 ppb | 15 (action… | 2024 |
Source: medinaco.org
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 1 ppb in 2024 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
Projects & plans3
Recent and current work
- Permanent shutdown of the Westfield well · 2025 · completed
Taken permanently out of service after an ODNR-permitted oil well was installed inside the 300-foot sanitary isolation radius of the wellhead, which drew a…
Source: medinaco.orgdata.epa.gov
Planned or needed
- Chippewa Lake WWTP replacement and pump station reconstruction (Sewer District #700) · $75 million · 2026 · planned
Wastewater, not water, but it serves the same Chippewa Lake community. Medina County requested $75 million from the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund at… - Westfield water plant expansion · $23 million · 2026 · proposed
Flagged with caution: the only source located is AI-generated coverage of a February 2026 Medina County commissioners meeting on a capital plan of more than…
Supply stress
Real and documented. Ohio EPA rates the Chippewa Lake wells and the Greenwich Road wells as moderately susceptible to contamination, but the Westfield Road well, screened less than 20 feet below ground under a thin clay layer, as highly susceptible; the county maintains a wellhead protection plan in response. That well is now permanently…
Sewers
Sanitary
Not the same footprint as the water district, and only partly documented. The Medina County Sanitary Engineer operates three wastewater plants countywide; the Chippewa Lake WWTP (Plant #700, Sewer District #700) serves the villages of Chippewa Lake and Gloria Glens Park, about 1,100 people, with a 0.874 MGD design average flow…
Storm
The CCR notes only that storm drains discharge directly to the ground or streams; we found no record of storm sewer separation or drainage problems in Westfield Center or Chippewa Lake.
Source: dam.assets.ohio.govmedinaco.org
Sourcesverified
Compiled from the utility's own reports and public records, then independently re-checked against primary sources.
Main supplier in 2 ZIP codes
Serves
Main water supplier in 2 ZIP codes
- 44251 · Westfield Center100% of residents
- 44215 · Lafayette Township and Chippewa Lake80% of residents
Also present in 1 more ZIP code
- 44273 · Seville3% 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
Medina Co/southern Water Dist does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
No other system is on record buying water from Medina Co/southern Water Dist.
What the records show about Medina Co/southern Water Dist
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Medina Co/southern Water Dist as owned by a local government. It has 1,712 service connections and serves 4,708 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 330-764-8345.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Medina Co/southern Water Dist: aeration, chlorine disinfection, 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 Medina Co/southern Water Dist since 2015.
EPA logs no violations of any kind for Medina Co/southern Water Dist 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 2024, the 90th-percentile lead result at Medina Co/southern Water Dist was 1 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 1.2 ppb, in the period ending December 2021.
EPA has 4 sampling periods on file for Medina Co/southern Water Dist since 2016, the first ending in 2016; 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 Medina Co/southern Water Dist sent EPA, 1,762 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 0 |
| Not lead | 1,762 |
| All lines | 1,762 |
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 Medina Co/southern Water Dist 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 2 plants of Medina Co/southern Water Dist (latest sample August 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 Medina Co/southern Water Dist's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 20.6 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 49 µg/L and the highest single sample was 70.3 µg/L, from 18 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 7.2 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 18.2 µg/L and the highest single sample was 29.8 µg/L, from 18 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 20.6 µg/L (2019) | 49 µg/L | 70.3 µg/L | 18 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 7.2 µg/L | 18.2 µg/L | 29.8 µg/L | 18 |
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 19 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: the highest of 6 samples was 4.2 µg/L (limit 10); detections averaged 3.7; none over the limit.
| Contaminant | Samples | Highest result | Limit | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 19 | 0.55 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 0 |
| Arsenic | 6 | 4.2 µg/L | 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 9 samples each.
| Compound | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzene | 5 µg/L | 9 | 0 of 9 | not detected | 0 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 5 µg/L | 9 | 0 of 9 | not detected | 0 |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 5 µg/L | 9 | 0 of 9 | not detected | 0 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 5 µg/L | 9 | 0 of 9 | not detected | 0 |
| Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) | 5 µg/L | 9 | 0 of 9 | not detected | 0 |
| Vinyl chloride | 2 µg/L | 9 | 0 of 9 | 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 6 samples, highest 27.9 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine in 5 samples, alachlor in 5 samples, chromium in 6 samples, cadmium in 6 samples, mercury in 6 samples, selenium in 6 samples, thallium in 6 samples.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 5 | 0 of 5 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 5 | 0 of 5 | not detected | 0 |
| Chromium | Metal | 100 µg/L | 6 | 0 of 6 | not detected | 0 |
| Cadmium | Metal | 5 µg/L | 6 | 0 of 6 | not detected | 0 |
| Barium | Metal | 2,000 µg/L | 6 | 3 of 6 | 27.9 µg/L | 0 |
| Mercury | Metal | 2 µg/L | 6 | 0 of 6 | not detected | 0 |
| Selenium | Metal | 50 µg/L | 6 | 0 of 6 | not detected | 0 |
| Thallium | Metal | 2 µg/L | 6 | 0 of 6 | 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 837 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Medina Co/southern Water Dist tested positive (0%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 110 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 Medina Co/southern Water Dist buys its water from Ashland City, a system that adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists no fluoridation step at Medina Co/southern Water Dist.
Measured fluoride: 0.32 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2018 (below the 0.7 mg/L target); samples ran from 0.29 to 0.34 mg/L across 6 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 found in 4 of 4 UCMR 5 samples at Medina Co/southern Water Dist, highest 41.2 µg/L; detections averaged 35.2, last sampled in 2023.
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 Medina Co/southern Water Dist 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 2,976 residents are inside the boundary, 63% of the 4,708 people Medina Co/southern Water Dist 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 OH5260712 (EPA ECHO).
Notable facts: medinaco.org, data.epa.gov, dam.assets.ohio.gov
History: data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov, medinaco.org, dam.assets.ohio.gov
Water quality: medinaco.org
Planned work: dam.assets.ohio.gov, citizenportal.ai
Capital projects: medinaco.org, data.epa.gov
Rates: citizenportal.ai
Sewers: dam.assets.ohio.gov, medinaco.org
Treatment: medinaco.org, data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov
Supply stress: medinaco.org, data.epa.gov, data.epa.gov
