Water system
Eaton Public Water System
EPA ID OH6801612 · Preble County · 8,400 people served · owned by a local government
Eaton Public Water System treats its own water from Sand and gravel (Pleistocene) aquifer wells, Preble County.
The system's record
- Aquifer
- Sand and gravel (glacial outwash/buried valley) aquifer
- Active wells
- 9
- Serves
- 8,400 people · Preble County
- EPA ID
- OH6801612
About this area's water
Did you know
- Eaton runs two water plants with different jobs: the Eaton Water Plant (3 wells) only strips iron, while the Black Water Plant (5 wells) removes both iron and manganese, dosing potassium permanganate to do it.
- One tank does most of the work -- the city's own annual report warns that if the 1.5 MG elevated tank goes out of service, normal fire flows could be a problem in a major fire. The other tank holds 0.75 MG.
- About 3,700 accounts are served by roughly 55 miles of main ranging from 2 to 12 inches, with around 475 fire hydrants.
- In 2020 Ohio EPA tested Eaton's finished water for six PFAS compounds under a statewide initiative and detected none.
- Eaton's wastewater plant treated 486 million gallons in 2025 and still averaged 98-99% removal of CBOD, solids and ammonia.
Source: cityofeaton.orgcityofeaton.org
What it costs
Not published. The city has no online water rate schedule: the 'Rates and Services' page covers Mound Hill Cemetery only, the site map lists no rate page, and the codified…
Water quality & impurities
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 7.9 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
Projects & plans5
Recent and current work
- New Well #1, Black Water Plant · 2025 · completed
Started up and placed in service in January 2025; a new well shed was built the same month. - Citywide water main leak detection survey · 2025 · completed
Conducted by Aquiline in May 2025 across the whole distribution system. - New water mains, S. Franklin St. and Liberty St. · 2025 · completed
Installed July and August 2025 as routine main replacement. - New chlorine day tank and bulk tank, Eaton Water Plant · 2025 · completed
Installed July 2025; new SCADA equipment also added on the Black Plant wells. - Wastewater plant filter and UV replacement · 2025 · under construction
Project started November 2025; no cost published.
Source: cityofeaton.org
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
- 45320 · Eaton52% 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
Eaton Public Water System does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
No other system is on record buying water from Eaton Public Water System.
What the records show about Eaton Public Water System
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Eaton Public Water System as owned by a local government. It has 3,579 service connections and serves 8,400 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 937-456-4125.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Eaton Public Water System: aeration, corrosion control, chlorine disinfection, iron and manganese removal, 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 Eaton Public Water System since 2015.
EPA logs no violations of any kind for Eaton Public Water System 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 Eaton Public Water System was 7.9 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 11.5 ppb, in the period ending December 2016.
EPA has 9 sampling periods on file for Eaton Public Water System since 2016, the first ending in 2016; 1 of the 9 periods went above 10 ppb.
Every water system has to inventory its service lines, the pipes from the main to each building. In the inventory Eaton Public Water System sent EPA, 3,549 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 74 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 10 |
| Unknown material | 1,362 |
| Not lead | 2,103 |
| All lines | 3,549 |
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 Eaton Public Water System in 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 2 plants of Eaton Public Water System (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 Eaton Public Water System's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 34.5 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 34.5 µg/L and the highest single sample was 45.6 µg/L, from 16 samples taken from 2013 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 6.3 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 8.6 µg/L and the highest single sample was 8.8 µg/L, from 16 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 34.5 µg/L (2019) | 34.5 µg/L | 45.6 µg/L | 16 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 6.3 µg/L | 8.6 µg/L | 8.8 µg/L | 16 |
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 16 samples was 0.44 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2017; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 0.4 mg/L. No sample was over the limit of 10 mg/L. Nitrate above 10 is unsafe for infants.
Arsenic: the highest of 6 samples was 3.9 µg/L (limit 10); detections averaged 3.9; none over the limit.
| Contaminant | Samples | Highest result | Limit | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 16 | 0.44 mg/L | 10 mg/L | 0 |
| Arsenic | 6 | 3.9 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 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.
Farm chemicals and metals
EPA's file holds results for 8 of the nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: cadmium in 1 of 6 samples, highest 0.24 µg/L (limit 5); barium in 6 of 6 samples, highest 261 µg/L (limit 2,000); thallium in 1 of 6 samples, highest 1.3 µg/L (limit 2). Not detected: atrazine in 4 samples, alachlor in 4 samples, chromium in 6 samples, mercury in 6 samples, selenium in 6 samples.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 4 | 0 of 4 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 4 | 0 of 4 | not detected | 0 |
| Chromium | Metal | 100 µg/L | 6 | 0 of 6 | not detected | 0 |
| Cadmium | Metal | 5 µg/L | 6 | 1 of 6 | 0.24 µg/L | 0 |
| Barium | Metal | 2,000 µg/L | 6 | 6 of 6 | 261 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 | 1 of 6 | 1.3 µg/L | 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 864 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Eaton Public Water System tested positive (0%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 108 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 Eaton Public Water System has fluoride from natural sources at the recommended level for preventing tooth decay. The level it reports is 0.85 mg/L.
EPA's treatment table lists no fluoridation step at Eaton Public Water System.
Measured fluoride: 0.82 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2019 (in the range dentists aim for); samples ran from 0.77 to 1.18 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 not detected in 4 UCMR 5 samples at Eaton Public Water System, 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.
Water and sewer bills
Ohio EPA's 2023 rate survey puts the water bill at Eaton Public Water System for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $417 a year, about $35 a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $268 | not on file |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $417 | not on file |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $595 | not on file |
The survey lists it as “Eaton”. 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 Eaton Public Water System 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 8,151 residents are inside the boundary, 97% of the 8,400 people Eaton Public Water System 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 OH6801612 (EPA ECHO).
Eaton Public Water System's own pages: waterdata.usgs.gov
Notable facts: cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
History: en.wikipedia.org, cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
Water quality: cityofeaton.org
Water pressure: cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
Capital projects: cityofeaton.org
Rates: cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
Sewers: cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
Treatment: cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
Supply stress: cityofeaton.org, cityofeaton.org
