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County warns Southern Water District customers: abandon pond/well or install backflow device after EPA sanitary survey
Summary
Sanitary engineer Jeremy Cinco told commissioners roughly 107 Southern Water District customers with auxiliary water sources must either abandon those sources or install certified backflow prevention devices, with estimated installation costs around $1,000 and ongoing annual inspection requirements; staff said up to about 1,300 properties in the Northwest system could also be affected.
County sanitary staff briefed the Medina County Board of Commissioners on results of an Ohio EPA sanitary survey that flagged auxiliary water systems connected to the public supply.
Jeremy Cinco, sanitary engineer, said the survey identified about 107 customers in the Southern Water District who both have an auxiliary water source — such as a pond, cistern or well — and a connection to the county system. "You either have to abandon your auxiliary water system or you're gonna have to install a backflow prevention device," Cinco said, explaining that a certified backflow-prevention plumber must install the device and that it must be inspected annually.
Officials said installation costs vary by plumbing configuration but estimated roughly $1,000 as a typical installation cost; annual testing is required thereafter. If customers do not comply within the timeframe the county sets in letters it will send, water service could be suspended until compliance is achieved, staff said.
County staff are coordinating with the Medina County Health Department, the county prosecutor's office and the Ohio EPA to finalize acceptable abandonment standards (for example, how a pond that predates public water service is treated) and to confirm the timeline. Cinco said the county found no existing cross-connections at inspected properties but that administrative-code language requires addressing active auxiliary sources connected to the public system.
The sanitary engineer also said a preliminary review of the Northwest system shows approximately 1,300 properties with active auxiliary water permits that could be in the same regulatory position; staff described that figure as an initial estimate and said the county is awaiting final Ohio EPA determinations about permitted ponds.
Staff said they plan to send letters to affected customers, allow a compliance period (initial thought: about six months for the 107 Southern Water District customers), and offer technical coordination; they also said they will work with the prosecutor's office to ensure notice language is correct.
Next steps: staff will finalize letter language with the prosecutor and the health department, set compliance timelines and provide technical guidance to affected customers; any appeals or legal questions would be handled per regulatory channels and local procedures.
