Water system
Gnadenhutten
EPA ID OH7900512 · Tuscarawas County · 1,240 people served · owned by a local government
Gnadenhutten treats its own water from Groundwater wells (2 wells).
The system's record
- Active wells
- 2
- Serves
- 1,240 people · Tuscarawas County
- EPA ID
- OH7900512
About this area's water
Did you know
- Gnadenhutten (German for 'huts of grace') is described in local sources as one of Ohio's oldest continuously documented European-founded settlements, established in 1772.
- The village's two municipal wells sit inside Heck's Grove Park.
- A 1913 flood destroyed the adjacent Ohio Canal, which had operated since roughly 1830 and was never rebuilt.
- In 2003, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, the Society of Colonial Wars in Ohio, and the Ohio Historical Society erected a historical marker titled 'A Day of Shame' at the massacre site — this was a memorial marker, not…
Source: hmdb.orgen.wikipedia.org
History6
- 1772Moravian missionaries and Lenape converts found Gnadenhutten, one of Ohio's oldest continuously documented Euro-American settlements.
- 1782Pennsylvania militia (roughly 160 men, led by David Williamson) massacre about 96 unarmed, unresisting Lenape men, women, and children in the village on March 8, during the American Revolution.
- 1825-1830The Ohio and Erie Canal is built past the village; a 1913 flood later destroys the canal, which is never rebuilt.
- 2004Ohio EPA orders the village to resolve wastewater treatment plant permit violations (repeated exceedances of ammonia, cadmium, chlorine, chromium, copper, fecal coliform, lead, mercury, nickel…
- 2024Village water treatment plant undergoes a substantial upgrade (new, more efficient pumps, updated testing/monitoring procedures) per the 2025 CCR.
- 2025A lead sample at one residence (80 Arrowhead Drive, sample LC212) tests at 43.5 ug/L on 5/29/2025, exceeding the 15 ug/L action level; Ohio EPA was notified and the resident agreed to resample.
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Groundwater pumped from two wells in Heck's Grove Park, disinfected with chlorine (no filtration step described); the plant was substantially upgraded in 2024 with new, more efficient pumps and updated testing/monitoring practices, per the 2025 CCR.
Source: villageofgnadenhutten.org
Water pressure
Not published.
What it costs
Not published. No dollar rate figures appear on the village utility-billing page; residents are directed to call the village office…
Water quality & impurities6
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (individual tap sample) Exceeded the lead action level at 80 Arrowhead Drive, sample LC212, dated 5/29/2025; Ohio EPA notified the village… | 43.5 ug/L | AL 15 | 2025 |
| Copper (90th percentile) The village's 2025 CCR table prints the digits '306' with no decimal point for a contaminant whose MCLG and AL are both… | 306 (as… ppm | AL 1.3 | 2025 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Sampled 7/18/2025; no violation. | 1.62 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Sampled 7/18/2025. | 6.24 ppb | 60 | 2025 |
| Total Chlorine residual Sampled 10/16/2025. | 1.91 ppm | MRDL 4 | 2025 |
| Nitrate Sampled 6/13/2025; well below limit. | 0.157 ppm | 10 | 2025 |
Source: villageofgnadenhutten.org
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.
5 violations of any kind logged since 2020: 5 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
Projects & plans2
Recent and current work
- Water treatment plant upgrade · 2024 · completed
New, more efficient pumps and updated testing/monitoring practices, per the 2025 CCR; cost not published. - Wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation (micro-biological reactor converted to extended aeration) · $2 million · completed
Funded by USDA Rural Development ($1,521,000 loan + $250,000 grant) and a $250,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant; replaced pretreatment components and…
Supply stress
The 2025 CCR describes the aquifer as susceptible to contamination because a permeable sandy-loam layer between the surface and the underlying sand-and-gravel aquifer offers limited natural protection; no drought or capacity issues surfaced.
Source: villageofgnadenhutten.org
Sewers
Sanitary
Village operates its own sanitary sewer system and WWTP, discharging to the Tuscarawas River. Ohio EPA issued a 2004 enforcement order (with a $7,800 civil penalty) after the plant repeatedly exceeded discharge permit limits for ammonia, cadmium, chlorine, chromium, copper, fecal coliform, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, and zinc, and…
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
- 44629 · Gnadenhutten57% 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
Gnadenhutten does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
No other system is on record buying water from Gnadenhutten.
What the records show about Gnadenhutten
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Gnadenhutten as owned by a local government. It has 599 service connections and serves 1,240 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 740-254-4307.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Gnadenhutten: corrosion control, 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 Gnadenhutten since 2015.
EPA logs 5 violations of any kind since 2020: 5 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 2025, the 90th-percentile lead result at Gnadenhutten 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.
The highest result on file is 1.1 ppb, in the period ending June 2025.
EPA has 9 sampling periods on file for Gnadenhutten 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 Gnadenhutten sent EPA, 583 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 160 |
| Not lead | 423 |
| All lines | 583 |
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 Gnadenhutten 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 1 plant of Gnadenhutten (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 Gnadenhutten's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 3.3 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 15.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 15.2 µg/L, from 15 samples taken from 2013 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 0 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 4.1 µg/L and the highest single sample was 7 µg/L, from 15 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 3.3 µg/L (2019) | 15.1 µg/L | 15.2 µg/L | 15 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 0 µg/L | 4.1 µg/L | 7 µg/L | 15 |
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 2.35 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2013; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 1.01 mg/L. 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 | 2.35 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. Not detected: atrazine, alachlor, chromium, cadmium, barium, mercury, selenium, and thallium, in 3 samples each.
| Substance | Kind | Limit | Samples | Detected in | Highest result | Samples over limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atrazine | Farm chemical | 3 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 0 |
| Alachlor | Farm chemical | 2 µg/L | 3 | 0 of 3 | 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 | 0 of 3 | not detected | 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 193 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Gnadenhutten tested positive (0%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 24 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 Gnadenhutten has fluoride from natural sources, but at a level below what is recommended for preventing tooth decay, and does not adjust it. The level it reports is 0.11 mg/L.
EPA's treatment table lists no fluoridation step at Gnadenhutten.
Measured fluoride: none was detected in 3 samples at the plant's entry points 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 Gnadenhutten, 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 Gnadenhutten for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $216 a year, about $18 a month.
The sewer bill in the same survey is $306 a year at 5,000 gallons a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $216 | $306 |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $216 | $306 |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $252 | $342 |
The survey lists it as “Gnadenhutten”. 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 Gnadenhutten with a computer model rather than drawing it from the utility's map, so its edges are approximate.
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 OH7900512 (EPA ECHO).
Notable facts: hmdb.org, en.wikipedia.org
History: en.wikipedia.org, regionalassociations.org
Water quality: villageofgnadenhutten.org
Capital projects: villageofgnadenhutten.org, brown.senate.gov
Sewers: regionalassociations.org, brown.senate.gov
Treatment: villageofgnadenhutten.org
Supply stress: villageofgnadenhutten.org
