|
Background
The Division's Drinking Water Program manages the federally delegated drinking water program and implements both federal and Ohio's Safe Drinking Water statutes and rules adopted under these laws. To carry out the program the Division:
- develops rules which match USEPA regulations and are at least as stringent as the federal rules;
- conducts inspections of water treatment plants and storage and distribution systems to ensure proper construction and operation;
- informs Public Water Systems (PWSs) of their monitoring and reporting requirements under the law;
- tracks systems compliance with rules through review of their self-monitoring reports and of the analytical results of their water sampling;
- takes appropriate enforcement action for failure to comply with Ohio's safe drinking water laws and regulations;
- collects and tracks data regarding the activities and reports appropriately to the federal government.
Drinking Water Staff also:
- inspect and certify laboratories to ensure proper analysis of drinking water samples;
- review plans for new or modified PWSs, provide technical assistance to PWSs to help them operate properly and achieve and maintain compliance;
- evaluate water plants to determine which classification of certified operator is required to properly operate the plant;
- assist the Ohio Advisory Council of Examiners in developing and administering tests for those people wishing to become certified operators;
- respond to emergencies such as chemical spills or floods which either threaten a source of water or causes a treatment plant to be out of operation;
- respond to and investigate complaints of contaminated drinking water or water borne disease.
There are more than 6,000 PWSs in Ohio. The PWSs range from large community systems like the city of Cleveland to non-transient non-community systems such as schools and factories to transient non-community systems such as campgrounds. While most of Ohio's population is served by a relatively few number of large systems, most of the problems encountered and the work that must be done is for the medium and small systems.
The Sections
Engineering & Operations Section (E&OS)
Compliance
Assurance Section
- Enforcement Unit
- Chemical Monitoring and Compliance Unit
- Rules Implementation and Development Unit
 Back to DDAGW Homepage
|
