Ohio EPA Service Line Inventory Sheets Now Available

The Ohio EPA has revised the Lead and Copper Rule for public water utilities. With the new regulations, water systems were required to create an inventory of existing service line material both on the utility side of the water meter pit and the customer side, from the meter pit into the house. Plumbing material inside buildings is also required information. The goal of this rule is to minimize the risk of exposure to lead and copper in your drinking water. The drinking water we produce does not contain lead and copper, however the piping in your service line and indoor plumbing may contain these metals which can leach into your drinking water.

The result of our inspections of the system over this past year are now available. The Duvall (also known as JEDD) area, which mainly consists of warehouse facilities in the Rickenbacker area, and our primary serviced area can be viewed at anytime.

Emergency Outage – 05/19/2020

Customers in Stoutsville are currently experiencing a water outage. Our team is working diligently to rectify the situation. Once we have defined addresses, those customers will receive a phone call or text notifying them.

Text Alerts!
To begin receiving text message notifications for an outage in your service area, please click here for details.

What are PFAS?

What are Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man-made chemicals that have been used for decades in many consumer products and industrial. Examples of chemicals in this class include PFOA and PFOS, and more than 3000 related compounds. Because of their oil-, stain-, and water-repellent properties, PFAS have been used in many consumer products, including non-stick cookware, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, waterproof clothing, food packaging (microwave popcorn bags, fast food wrappers, pizza boxes, etc.), cosmetics, paints, papers, protective coatings and sealants, shampoo, and dental floss. They have also been used in certain firefighting foams and various industrial processes. Because of their widespread use, many PFAS compounds have been found in the environment. PFAS are called forever chemicals because they don’t easily breakdown or degrade.

Does the EPA Regulate PFAS in Public Drinking Water?

No. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) protects public drinking water supplies across the United States. Under the SDWA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has regulated more than 90 drinking water contaminants. USEPA has the authority to set enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for specific chemicals and can require monitoring of public water supplies. There are currently no MCLs established for PFAS chemicals, however, USEPA has initiated the steps to evaluate the need for an MCL for PFOA and PFOS under the regulatory determination process.

In lieu of MCLs, USEPA has issued a health advisory for two PFAS in drinking water: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Health advisories are non-enforceable and non-regulatory and describe concentrations of drinking water contaminants at or below which adverse health effects are not anticipated to occur over specific exposure durations. The USEPA established health advisory level for the combined concentration of PFOA and PFOS is 70 parts per trillion (ppt).

Does Earnhart Hill Routinely Monitor for PFAS in the Drinking Water?

Neither the USEPA nor Ohio EPA regulate the presence of PFAS chemicals in public water systems and thus there is no requirement for routine monitoring. In 2015, EHRWSD was required by USEPA to participate in the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3), which included testing for six PFAS compounds. On July 22, 2015 and December 8, 2015, EHRWSD submitted samples of their finished drinking water to an EPA-approved laboratory for PFAS analysis using the EPA-approved analytical method. None of the six PFAS compounds listed in UCMR3 were detected in the EHRWSD finished water samples.

Other than drinking water, what other ways could I be exposed to PFOA, PFOS and other PFAS compounds?

PFAS are used in many consumer products. They are used in food packaging, such as fast food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags; waterproof and stain resistant fabrics, such as outdoor clothing, upholstery, and carpeting; nonstick coatings on cookware; and cleaning supplies, including some soaps and shampoos. People can be exposed to these chemicals in house dust, indoor and outdoor air, food, and drinking water.

Where can I find more information on PFAS?

Additional information regarding PFAS can be found on the USEPA PFAS website:
https://www.epa.gov/pfas

UPDATE: “Flushable” wipes can cause sewer issues

Back in May 2019, Tim Carter, from Ask the Builder, posted about his findings regarding flushable wipes. After receiving hundreds of responses, he decided to conduct a test, outlined in the linked video below.

To read the “updated” article from AskTheBuilder, click here.

To see the demonstration video created by Tim Carter, click here.

 

Preview the original article we posted back in May 2019.

Three P’s Only!
Only the three P’s belong in the toilet: pee, poop, and toilet paper. Period. Anything else—including wipes—is bad news for the pipes and pumps that carry water from your home to your community water resource recovery facility, where professionals are working 24/7 to clean your used water.

For more information, please review a related article here.

Water Environment Federation – www.wef.org
Ask The Builder – www.askthebuilder.com

 

 

 

“Flushable” wipes can cause sewer issues

Three P’s Only!
Only the three P’s belong in the toilet: pee, poop, and toilet paper. Period. Anything else—including wipes—is bad news for the pipes and pumps that carry water from your home to your community water resource recovery facility, where professionals are working 24/7 to clean your used water.

For more information, please review a related article here.

Water Environment Federation – www.wef.org
Ask The Builder – www.askthebuilder.com

Jackson Road Closure – Dec 2018

Jackson Road (TR-60) will be closed approximately 1.0 mile north of Hayesville Road and 0.40 mile south of Heffner Road from December 3, 2018 to December 7, 2018 for water line repairs. Sorry for the inconvenience.

2017 Unaudited Annual Financial Report

The 2017 Unaudited Annual Financial Report of the Earnhart Hill Regional Water & Sewer District, Pickaway County, has been completed. Copies of the report can be requested by contacting the District by email info@ehrwsd.org, by phone 740-474-3114, by fax 740-474-3115, by mailing a request to PO Box 151, Circleville OH 43113, or by clicking here.

New Position Available

Earnhart Hill Regional Water and Sewer District is accepting resumes for the Project Engineer position. This is a full time position with hours of 7:30AM-4:00PM, M-F. The Project Engineer reports to the Operations Manager with duties including construction observation, plan review, overseeing the District’s geographical information systems and analyses of complex engineering problems.

Candidate must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent field and an Ohio professional engineering license. Salary range $30.80 to $38.50 per hour. To view the complete position description and obtain an application, visit our Careers page.

Applications may be submitted by mail to: Earnhart Hill Regional Water and Sewer District, ATTN: Operations Manager, 2030 Stoneridge Drive, PO Box 151, Circleville, OH 43113. Required documentation must be submitted in order to be considered.

Contact Person: Louis A. McFarland, Operations Manager 740-474-3114 ext 115 or lamcfarland@ehrwsd.org.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Auditor of State Award Presented to EHRWSD

We are pleased to announce the results for our 2016 Audit.

Auditor of State Dave Yost has announced the Auditor of State Awards for clean audit reports. Among the recipients is Earnhart Hill Regional Water & Sewer District in Pickaway County. The Auditor of State Award is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit. Entities that receive the award meet the criteria of a “clean” audit report.

Please view the results here or on our General Info page!

Temporary Water Hardness

Customers may experience an increase in their water hardness over the next two weeks due to a salt shortage from our vendor. We will be minimizing our softening to stretch our current stock. To resolve this issue sooner we are looking for alternate sources to service our needs until the supply issue is remedied. Thank you in advance for understanding.