Water system
Pioneer Village
EPA ID OH8601312 · Williams County · 1,449 people served · owned by a local government
Pioneer Village treats its own water from Groundwater wells (3 wells).
The system's record
- Active wells
- 3
- Serves
- 1,449 people · Williams County
- EPA ID
- OH8601312
About this area's water
Did you know
- Pioneer was the terminus of the Toledo and Western interurban electric railway (1903-1933), part of a never-completed plan to link Toledo to Chicago by rail.
- The village became nationally known in 2024-2025 as the site of a controversial AquaBounty genetically-modified salmon farm project that clashed with county commissioners over water and sewer easements, reaching the…
- The village's official seal reads 'Est. 1849,' four years before its formal platting in 1853.
- Pioneer bills water and sewer as flat monthly fees rather than metered per-gallon rates, unusual among Ohio villages.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgtoledoblade.com
History5
- 1849Village founding date shown on Pioneer's official seal ('Est. 1849').
- 1851A post office was established at Pioneer, predating its formal platting.
- 1853Pioneer was formally platted in Williams County's Madison Township.
- 1903-1933The Toledo and Western interurban electric railway used Pioneer as its terminus, part of an unrealized plan to link Toledo to Chicago.
- 2023-2025Village became the center of a contested AquaBounty genetically-modified salmon farm project seeking up to 5.25 million gallons/day from the Michindoh Aquifer; Williams County commissioners denied…
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Groundwater pumped by 3 wells (about 326,000 gallons/day in 2025) from a sand-and-gravel aquifer protected by over 25 ft of low-permeability clay; pressure filtration at the village water treatment plant (west side of the village) removes iron, manganese, taste and odor. Confirmed verbatim against…
Source: pioneerohio.gov
Water pressure
Not published in Pioneer's 2025 CCR or on the village site. Generic village plumbing code requires booster pumps to cut off at…
Source: pioneerohio.gov
What it costs
Typical household bill about $73 a month for water.
Pioneer bills flat monthly fees rather than per-1,000-gallon rates. Village materials describe roughly $40 water + $40 sewer + $15 garbage/month for a 'Family' household and lower…
Source: villageofpioneer.org
Water quality & impurities9
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 26.1-30.6 ppb. Confirmed against Pioneer's 2025 CCR. | 30.6 ppb | 80 | 2025 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Range 6.9-7.0 ppb. Confirmed against Pioneer's 2025 CCR. | 7.0 ppb | 60 | 2025 |
| Gross Alpha (excl. radon/uranium) Confirmed against Pioneer's 2025 CCR. | 3.47 pCi/L | 15 | 2022 |
| Nitrate (as N) Runoff from fertilizer/septic systems. Confirmed against Pioneer's 2025 CCR. | 0.197 mg/L | 10 | 2025 |
| Fluoride Naturally occurring plus additive. Confirmed against Pioneer's 2025 CCR. | 1.03 ppm | 4 | 2025 |
| Barium Per the 2025 CCR. | 0.219 ppm | 2 | 2025 |
| Lead (90th percentile) 0 of 10 samples exceeded the action level. Confirmed against Pioneer's 2025 CCR. | 1.7 ppb | 15 (AL) | 2025 |
| Copper (90th percentile) 0 of 10 samples exceeded the action level. Added from the 2025 CCR. | 0.079 ppm | 1.3 (AL) | 2025 |
| Lead/copper service-line notification System failed to demonstrate delivery of required annual lead/galvanized/unknown service-line notices by 7/1/2025.… | violation n/a | n/a | 2025 |
Source: pioneerohio.gov
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 1.7 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
1 violation of any kind logged since 2020: 1 for a report, record or notice that was missing, late or incomplete (the yearly water quality report, a public notice, lead line records).
Projects & plans3
Recent and current work
- Cedar and Dearborn Street waterline and storm sewer replacement · $847,005 · 2024 · under construction
OWDA Fresh Water Loan Program financing (3.31%, 20-yr term) for 1,800 ft of new waterline and 1,700 ft of storm sewer; amount and terms confirmed via OWDA…
Source: bryantimes.comowda.org
Planned or needed
- Water Treatment Plant Improvements · 2025 · proposed
Reported as an OPWC District 5 Round 34 capital funding application. - Randolph Pump Station Rehab and Inflow Sewer Replacement · 2025 · proposed
Reported as addressing sanitary sewer inflow/pump station issues via OPWC District 5 Round 34.
Source: thevillagereporter.com
Supply stress
Pioneer sits over the regional Michindoh Aquifer (spanning Michigan-Indiana-Ohio); the proposed AquaBounty land-based salmon farm sought up to 5.25 million gallons/day from wells near the village and new water/wastewater pipelines, prompting a multi-year legal fight in which Williams County Commissioners' refusal of road easements was…
Source: 13abc.comtoledoblade.com
Sewers
Sanitary
Village-owned wastewater treatment plant; a proposed Randolph Pump Station rehab and inflow sewer replacement project reportedly suggests possible inflow/infiltration issues.
Storm
Separate storm sewer system; 1,700 ft of storm sewer on Cedar and Dearborn Streets was replaced alongside the 2024 waterline project (per OWDA loan records).
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
- 43554 · Pioneer55% 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
Pioneer Village does not buy water from another system on record; it treats its own source water.
No other system is on record buying water from Pioneer Village.
What the records show about Pioneer Village
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Pioneer Village as owned by a local government. It has 790 service connections and serves 1,449 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 419-737-2655.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Pioneer Village: 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 Pioneer Village since 2015.
EPA logs 1 violation of any kind since 2020: 1 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 Pioneer Village was 1.7 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 4.5 ppb, in the period ending December 2024.
EPA has 9 sampling periods on file for Pioneer Village 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 Pioneer Village sent EPA, 692 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 21 |
| Unknown material | 614 |
| Not lead | 57 |
| All lines | 692 |
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
Ohio EPA's own statewide sampling tested 1 plant of Pioneer Village (latest sample July 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 Pioneer Village's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 16.4 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 23.7 µg/L and the highest single sample was 34 µg/L, from 14 samples taken from 2013 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 0 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 6.2 µg/L and the highest single sample was 6.3 µg/L, from 14 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 16.4 µg/L (2019) | 23.7 µg/L | 34 µg/L | 14 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 0 µg/L | 6.2 µg/L | 6.3 µg/L | 14 |
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 was not detected in 8 samples through 2019 (limit 10 mg/L as nitrogen; 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 | not detected | 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 205 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine, alachlor, chromium, cadmium, 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 | 3 of 3 | 205 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 194 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Pioneer Village 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 Pioneer Village has fluoride from natural sources at the recommended level for preventing tooth decay. The level it reports is 1.07 mg/L.
EPA's treatment table lists no fluoridation step at Pioneer Village.
Measured fluoride: 1.24 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2019 (above the target); samples ran from 0.96 to 1.24 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.
How well the service area is mapped
EPA estimated the service area of Pioneer Village 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.
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 OH8601312 (EPA ECHO).
Notable facts: en.wikipedia.org, toledoblade.com
History: en.wikipedia.org, toledoblade.com, toledoblade.com
Water quality: pioneerohio.gov
Planned work: thevillagereporter.com
Water pressure: pioneerohio.gov
Capital projects: bryantimes.com, owda.org
Rates: villageofpioneer.org
Treatment: pioneerohio.gov
Supply stress: 13abc.com, toledoblade.com