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Council reviews Mid‑Ohio Water & Sewer proposal for test well and lease on village land near Derby Creek
Summary
Plain City staff presented Mid‑Ohio Water & Sewer District’s test well findings and a proposed 10×10 well house on village property; council asked staff and legal counsel to research mineral rights, easements, permit requirements and potential impacts to nearby wells before any lease or easement is granted.
Plain City Council on May 12 discussed a request from Mid‑Ohio Water & Sewer District to site a working well and small well house on village property east of Derby Creek, near the Trailhead Shelter, after a test well on that land produced water.
Haley Lupton, a village staff member, told council Mid‑Ohio completed a test well on Plain City land and found a location "pretty close to the trailhead walking path" that could host a full working well and a small building about 10 by 10 feet. Lupton said Mid‑Ohio would need an easement or lease from the village to construct the well and to run piping across the Derby Creek to reach the treatment plant, and that the district still must secure EPA permits and other approvals.
Council members raised several issues to be resolved before the village would approve a lease or easement: who owns subsurface water or mineral rights on the parcel; whether water pumped from the new well would be returned to Mid‑Ohio for resale to Plain City residents and under what pricing; potential impacts on nearby private wells from additional local drawdown; floodplain restrictions and site visibility near the trail; and the cost and schedule implications of crossing the creek with infrastructure.
Lupton said Mid‑Ohio had tested other nearby locations but determined the east‑side location was the most viable; she emphasized the district must complete EPA reviews and other permitting work before moving forward. Council said legal staff should review mineral rights language and that any crossing of Derby Creek would require an easement or right‑of‑way agreement. "I have a question about them pumping water out of our land to then turn around and charge our residents for that water," a councilmember said, flagging the principal negotiation issue for the village.
No lease or easement was approved on May 12. Council directed staff and the village legal team to follow up with Mid‑Ohio Water & Sewer District to clarify ownership, draft lease terms and easement language, confirm permitting requirements (including EPA and floodplain constraints), and assess any potential impacts to local wells and infrastructure. The matter will return to council after staff and legal review.
