Water system
Muskingum County Water - Se
EPA ID OH6000412 · Muskingum County · 21,540 people served
Muskingum County Water - Se treats its own water from Muskingum River buried valley aquifer (wells near Duncan Falls).
The system's record
- Aquifer
- Muskingum River valley sand-and-gravel aquifer
- Water bodies
- Muskingum River
- Active wells
- 5
- Serves
- 21,540 people · Muskingum County
- EPA ID
- OH6000412
About this area's water
Did you know
- The wells feeding the whole county sit less than 20 feet below the Muskingum River floodplain with no clay or shale cap over them -- Ohio EPA rates the aquifer 'high susceptibility,' though no contamination event has…
- The system started in January 1972 with about 1,000 customers on 35 miles of line fed by two wells; today one plant on Wayne Ridge Road feeds more than 10,000 customers over 460-plus miles of pipe.
- Since 2017 the Southeast system has been connected across the Muskingum River to supply the Northwest system, so the whole county drinks water from the same Duncan Falls well field.
- In 2026 the county became the sole water supplier to the Maysville Regional Water District, after building a transmission main, pump station and tank with Ohio EPA to fix source-water problems Maysville could not solve…
- MCWD keeps emergency interconnections with the City of Zanesville (near Richards, Fairview and Rehl Roads), the Village of New Concord (2020) and the Village of Philo (2024).
History6
- October 1967Scott Patton became the first customer to sign a water user agreement with the East Muskingum Water Authority (EMWA); the authority needed 1,700 customers to obtain financing, and high bond-market…
- January 12…Water service began in the southeast system: about 1,000 customers on 35 miles of line, supplied by two wells north of Duncan Falls and pumped to a standpipe above Duncan Falls and an elevated tank…
- February…The Wayne Ridge Road treatment plant (3830 Wayne Ridge Road) was put into operation.
- December…EMWA gave Muskingum County a 10% interest in the treatment plant and well field for $347,500 and agreed to sell water at cost so the county could extend lines.
- January 14…After 32 years, the EMWA board voted 4-3 to dissolve and merge with the Muskingum County Water and Sewer District; by then the system was worth more than $15 million and served more than 6,000…
- August 1…EMWA ceased operations and the Muskingum County Water and Sewer District assumed operations.
Source: muskingumcountyoh.govmuskingumcountyoh.govrosevilleoh.gov
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Five self-supporting wells draw from a shallow buried-valley sand-and-gravel aquifer in the Muskingum River floodplain, one mile north of Duncan Falls on State Route 60. Water is pumped to the Wayne Ridge Road plant (in operation since February 1998), where treatment is filtration for iron and…
Source: muskingumcountyoh.govmuskingumcountyoh.gov
Water pressure
Not published. No CCR, engineering report or pressure-zone map giving a psi figure was found.
What it costs
Typical household bill about $74 a month for water.
MCWD publishes no dollar rate schedule. Rule 20.1 of its Policies, Rules and Standards states only that 'all customers will be charged rates currently enforced at the Water…
Water quality & impurities9
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 33.3-39.8 ppb; byproduct of chlorination; no violation. | 39.8 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Range 11.5-12.6 ppb; byproduct of chlorination; no violation. | 12.6 ppb | 60 | 2025 |
| Total Chlorine Residual Range 1.09-1.70 ppm; water additive used to control microbes. | 1.43 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2025 |
| Fluoride Range 0.60-1.05 ppm; added additive plus natural erosion. | 0.95 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
| Nitrate Well below the MCL. | 0.173 ppm | 10 | 2025 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 0 of 30 samples over the action level. MCWD reports no lead, galvanized-requiring-replacement, or unknown-status… | 3.38 ppb | 15 (AL) | 2025 |
| Copper (90th percentile) 0 of 30 samples over the action level. | 0.55 ppm | 1.3 (AL) | 2025 |
| Barium Erosion of natural deposits; discharge of drilling wastes. | 0.058 ppm | 2 | 2024 |
| Selenium Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits. | 1.36 ppb | 50 | 2024 |
Source: muskingumcountyoh.gov
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 1 ppb in 2026 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA health-based violations since 2015:
- 2017Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) · above the legal limit on average · measured 0.081 MG/L (limit 0.08 MG/L) · 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 & plans10
Recent and current work
- Twin Hills Road / Helen Drive / Edwards Circle water line extension · 2023 · completed
Falls Township; part of millions of dollars of grant-funded extensions. No cost published. - Norfield / Arch Hill / Murphy Hill / Carr / Knipe Road water extension · 2023 · completed
About 50 homes in the eastern part of the county. No cost published. - Virginia Ridge / Irish Ridge / Duncan Run / Butterbean / Old River / Back Run / Shady Lane extension · 2023-2024 · completed
Under construction per the 2023 CCR; the county's project list records the resulting emergency connection with the Village of Philo as completed in 2024. No… - Maysville Regional Water supply: transmission main, pump station and storage tank · 2025 · completed
Largest MCWD project of 2025, done in conjunction with Ohio EPA to resolve Maysville Regional's long-term source-water problems. Muskingum County became… - Claysville Road / Herron Road / North Leedom Road extension · 2025 · completed
About 30 homes. No cost published. - Norwich Valley Road / Pidcock Road extension · 2025 · completed
About 30 homes. No cost published. - Well #7 · 2022 · completed
Supply upgrade at the Duncan Falls well field. No cost published.
Source: muskingumcountyoh.govrosevilleoh.govmuskingumcountyoh.gov
Planned or needed
- Water Treatment Plant Upgrades · 2026 · planned
Listed on the county's 2026 water project list; scope and cost not published. - Route 555 Extension #2 · 2026 · planned
Listed on the county's 2026 water project list; cost not published. - Dozer Ridge Extension · 2026 · planned
Listed on the county's 2026 water project list; cost not published.
Source: muskingumcountyoh.gov
Supply stress
Ohio EPA's source water assessment rates the aquifer supplying MCWD as having HIGH susceptibility to contamination, because there is no protective layer of clay, shale or other impervious material over it and the aquifer sits less than 20 feet below the ground surface, so anything spilled on the surface can move down into it. Identified…
Sewers
Sanitary
The Muskingum County Sewer Department is run separately from the water department. It serves more than 5,400 homes and businesses through over 150 miles of collection line and 60 pump stations. It operates a treatment plant at Adamsville for the Village of Adamsville, but the majority of its wastewater is transported to the City of…
Storm
We found no county stormwater utility or drainage program; the county sewer department describes only sanitary collection.
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 8 ZIP codes
- 43740 · Gratiot100% of residents
- 43734 · Wayne Township and Duncan Falls56% of residents
- 43830 · Muskingum Township and Nashport35% of residents
- 43767 · Union Township and Norwich33% of residents
- 43802 · Adams Township and Adamsville14% of residents
- 43746 · Hopewell Township and Hopewell14% of residents
- 43727 · Salt Creek Township and Chandlersville11% of residents
- 43720 · Blue Rock Township and Blue Rock7% of residents
Also present in 6 more ZIP codes
- 43701 · Zanesville15% of residents
- 43777 · Roseville3% of residents
- 43771 · Philo2% of residents
- 43760 · Madison Township and Mount Perry1% of residents
- 43762 · New Concord1% of residents
- 43056 · Heath0% 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
Muskingum County Water - Se does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
4 systems on record buy water from Muskingum County Water - Se: Dunfalls Association, Inc., Greenlawn Estates MHP, Maysville Regional Water, Roseville.
What the records show about Muskingum County Water - Se
Who runs it
EPA's record says Muskingum County Water - Se has 8,835 service connections and serves 21,540 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 2023.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Muskingum County Water - Se: corrosion control, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, and fluoridation.
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 Muskingum County Water - Se 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 2 violations of any kind 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).
| Year | Contaminant or rule | Kind | Measured | Limit | Status in EPA's record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) | above the legal limit on average | 0.081 mg/L | 0.08 mg/L | 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 June 2026, the 90th-percentile lead result at Muskingum County Water - Se 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 3.4 ppb, in the period ending December 2025.
EPA has 8 sampling periods on file for Muskingum County Water - Se 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 Muskingum County Water - Se sent EPA, 9,803 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 0 |
| Not lead | 9,803 |
| All lines | 9,803 |
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 Muskingum County Water - Se in 2023 to 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 4.4 ng/L.
Ohio EPA's own statewide sampling tested 1 plant of Muskingum County Water - Se (latest sample May 2021). 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 Muskingum County Water - Se as sampled, most recently July 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 Muskingum County Water - Se's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 48.2 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 77.8 µg/L and the highest single sample was 106 µg/L, from 116 samples taken from 2012 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 15.4 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 24.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 39.8 µg/L, from 116 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 48.2 µg/L (2019) | 77.8 µg/L | 106 µg/L | 116 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 15.4 µg/L | 24.1 µg/L | 39.8 µg/L | 116 |
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 0.6 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 | 0.6 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 3 of 3 samples, highest 50.6 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 | 50.6 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, 0 of 1,268 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Muskingum County Water - Se tested positive (0%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 243 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 Muskingum County Water - Se adjusts the fluoride level to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay.
EPA's treatment table lists fluoridation among the steps at Muskingum County Water - Se.
Measured fluoride: 0.84 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2018 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.67 to 1.07 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 Muskingum County Water - Se, 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
The service area drawn on the map for Muskingum County Water - Se comes from the utility's own map.
Counting the people who live in the ZIP codes it overlaps, this atlas estimates 12,790 residents are inside the boundary, 59% of the 21,540 people Muskingum County Water - Se 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.
On the map
Show this system's territory on the map — 14 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 OH6000412 (EPA ECHO).
Muskingum County Water - Se's own pages: muskingumcountyoh.gov, rosevilleoh.gov
Notable facts: muskingumcountyoh.gov, muskingumcountyoh.gov
History: muskingumcountyoh.gov, muskingumcountyoh.gov, rosevilleoh.gov
Water quality: muskingumcountyoh.gov
Planned work: muskingumcountyoh.gov
Capital projects: muskingumcountyoh.gov, rosevilleoh.gov, muskingumcountyoh.gov
Rates: muskingumcountyoh.gov, whiznews.com, yourradioplace.com, dam.assets.ohio.gov
Sewers: muskingumcountyoh.gov, whiznews.com, yourradioplace.com
Treatment: muskingumcountyoh.gov, muskingumcountyoh.gov
Supply stress: muskingumcountyoh.gov, muskingumcountyoh.gov