Water system
Carey Village
EPA ID OH8800012 · Wyandot County · 3,674 people served · owned by a local government
Carey Village treats its own water from Groundwater wells (3 wells).
The system's record
- Active wells
- 3
- Serves
- 3,674 people · Wyandot County
- EPA ID
- OH8800012
About this area's water
Did you know
- Carey's three municipal wells sit at Waterworks Park on the west edge of town and are open as deep as 210 feet in fractured limestone - a karst-influenced aquifer that Ohio EPA formally rates as highly susceptible to…
- The village's water plant and its wastewater plant each move almost exactly the same volume: the village reports nearly 550,000 gallons per day supplied and approximately 550,000 gallons per day discharged.
- Carey has been a water utility for over 130 years - the village dates its public water system to 1894 and its sewers to a 1938 Works Progress Administration project.
History5
- 1843R. M. Shuler and W. J. Buell laid out the town on land they owned, naming it for Judge John Carey, an early prominent resident of the region.
- 1858Carey was incorporated as an Ohio village on June 2.
- 1894The village's public water system was initiated and developed (per the Village's own history page).
- 1938Carey's sewer system was built through a WPA program.
- 2025Ohio EPA source water protection program status became effective for the system on December 3 (per EPA SDWIS).
Treatment & pressure
How it is treated
Three municipal wells near the west edge of Carey by Waterworks Park draw from fractured limestone, open between roughly 22 and 210 feet. Water is disinfected with chlorine (2021 total chlorine 1.1 ppm, range 0.5-1.7 ppm); no other treatment step is described in the CCR. The Village reports the…
Source: careyohio.govcareyohio.govcareyohio.gov
Water pressure
Not published.
What it costs
No rate schedule, rate ordinance, or fee sheet is published on the village website; the only billing resource posted is an InvoiceCloud payment portal…
Source: careyohio.gov
Water quality & impurities9
| Contaminant | Level | Limit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate Range 5.68-7.93 ppm; MCL and MCLG both 10 ppm. Ohio EPA cites this level as evidence of a pathway from the ground… | 6.86 ppm (mg/L) | 10 | 2021 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Range 22.4-28.4 ppb; disinfection byproduct, no violation. | 25.4 ppb | 80 | 2021 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Range 8.0-8.6 ppb; disinfection byproduct, no violation. | 8.3 ppb | 60 | 2021 |
| Total Chlorine Range 0.5-1.7 ppm; water additive used to control microbes. | 1.1 ppm | 4 (MRDL) | 2021 |
| Lead (90th percentile) Zero samples exceeded the 15 ppb action level. Separately, the village posted a lead service line notification to… | 4.8 ppb | 15 (action… | 2021 |
| Copper (90th percentile) Zero samples exceeded the copper action level. | 0.19 ppm | 1.3 ppm / 1350… | 2021 |
| Barium Well below MCL/MCLG of 2 ppm. | 0.015 ppm | 2 | 2019 |
| Fluoride Naturally occurring; well below MCL/MCLG of 4 ppm. | 0.526 ppm | 4 | 2019 |
| Open non-health-based violations Per EPA SDWIS: a violation for an inadequate yearly water quality report open since 2021-10-21, and a lead service line notice violation open since July 2, 2025. | 2 violations | 2025 |
Source: careyohio.govdata.epa.govcareyohio.gov
EPA compliance record
Lead at the tap: 90th-percentile result 3.1 ppb in 2025 (action level 15 ppb).
EPA record: no health-based violations since 2015.
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).
Supply stress
Ohio EPA's source water assessment, reprinted in the Village's CCR, rates Carey's drinking water source as having a high susceptibility to contamination for four stated reasons: nitrate present between 5.68 and 7.93 mg/L implying a pathway from the ground surface to the aquifer; the wells sit near a sensitive potential karst area; the…
Source: careyohio.govdata.epa.gov
Sewers
Sanitary
Village-run wastewater treatment plant, in the same Water and Wastewater Treatment department as the water plant (Director Michael Bakies, Class I water / Class II wastewater), producing a discharge of approximately 550,000 gallons per day released into the waters of the state. The village's sewer system dates to a 1938 WPA project.…
Storm
Not documented in any village or Ohio EPA source located.
Source: careyohio.govcareyohio.gov
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
- 43316 · Carey61% 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
Carey 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 Carey Village.
What the records show about Carey Village
Who runs it
EPA's record describes Carey Village as owned by a local government. It has 1,535 service connections and serves 3,674 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 419-396-7681.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), water system record.
How the water is treated
EPA's treatment table registers these steps for Carey Village: chlorine disinfection.
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 Carey Village since 2015.
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).
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 Carey Village was 3.1 ppb, under both the current 15 ppb action level and the 10 ppb level that applies from 2027.
The highest result on file is 10 ppb, in the period ending December 2024.
EPA has 9 sampling periods on file for Carey 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 Carey Village sent EPA, 1,550 lines are counted.
| Material | Lines |
|---|---|
| Lead | 0 |
| Galvanized, needing replacement | 0 |
| Unknown material | 1,355 |
| Not lead | 195 |
| All lines | 1,550 |
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 Carey Village in 2024 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 Carey Village (latest sample October 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 Carey Village's samples in 2019, the last year it was sampled, was 19.6 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 24.3 µg/L and the highest single sample was 37.8 µg/L, from 14 samples taken from 2013 to 2019.
For HAA5, the average in the last year sampled was 3.7 µg/L. The worst yearly average was 8.5 µg/L and the highest single sample was 10.3 µg/L, from 14 samples.
| Byproduct | Limit | Latest yearly average | Worst yearly average | Highest sample | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | 80 µg/L | 19.6 µg/L (2019) | 24.3 µg/L | 37.8 µg/L | 14 |
| HAA5 | 60 µg/L | 3.7 µg/L | 8.5 µg/L | 10.3 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: the highest of 32 samples was 7.35 mg/L (as nitrogen) in 2018; in 2019, the last year sampled, the highest was 6.76 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) | 32 | 7.35 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 all nine herbicides and metals it checked. Detected: barium in 3 of 3 samples, highest 150 µg/L (limit 2,000). Not detected: atrazine, alachlor, 2,4-D, 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 |
| 2,4-D | Farm chemical | 70 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 | 150 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, 1 of 388 routine total coliform samples taken in the distribution system at Carey Village tested positive (0.26%); in 2019, the last year on file, 0 of 49 did. E. coli was found in 1 of 1 sample tested for it.
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 Carey Village 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 0.56 mg/L.
EPA's treatment table lists no fluoridation step at Carey Village.
Measured fluoride: 0.53 mg/L on average at the plant's entry points in 2019 (below the 0.7 mg/L target); samples ran from 0.39 to 0.53 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 Carey Village, 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.
Water and sewer bills
Ohio EPA's 2023 rate survey puts the water bill at Carey Village for a household using 5,000 gallons a month at $360 a year, about $30 a month.
The sewer bill in the same survey is $599 a year at 5,000 gallons a month.
| Use | Water, per year | Sewer, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 gallons a month | $273 | $511 |
| 5,000 gallons a month | $360 | $599 |
| 8,000 gallons a month | $491 | $696 |
The survey lists it as “Carey”. 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 Carey Village 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 3,613 residents are inside the boundary, 98% of the 3,674 people Carey Village 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 OH8800012 (EPA ECHO).
Notable facts: careyohio.gov, careyohio.gov, careyohio.gov
History: careyohio.gov, en.wikipedia.org, data.epa.gov
Water quality: careyohio.gov, data.epa.gov, careyohio.gov
Rates: careyohio.gov
Sewers: careyohio.gov, careyohio.gov
Treatment: careyohio.gov, careyohio.gov, careyohio.gov
Supply stress: careyohio.gov, data.epa.gov
