12/6/2024
WT Staff
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December 6, 2024 updated 1029 am EST
Findlay BWA following water main break
Streamflow Situation from the network of USGS river monitoring sites in Ohio
Snow showers are possible today in the north, a 30% chance of new precipitation before 11 am with up to half an inch of accumulation possible. The high today 32 degrees according to NWS Cleveland with a sunny and freezing Friday forecast for the south, high just 31 according to NWS Wilmington.
Streamflow levels run predominantly below seasonal normal statewide with several monitoring sites reporting low water levels, two of these are extreme low, first percentile. Drought has overtaken much of the Ohio landscape again, the most critical area being Ohio River minor tributary Wheeling Creek rated severe drought. This drought is impacting south Jefferson and Belmont Counties. In the Lake Erie drainage area, watersheds north of the state height-of-land divide experiencing moderate hydrologic drought include Sandusky River watershed, St Josephs River and Tiffin River watersheds. Seven-day average streamflows indicating below normal moisture conditions show up in the Lake Erie drainage area in northeast Ohio, including Grand River watershed. Adjacent to the south, on the Mississippi River drainage basin side of the divide, Ohio River minor tributaries Mahoning, Shade, Raccoon-Symmes and Laughery watersheds are below normal. Muskingum River drainage basin in east central Ohio has Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum, Licking and Hocking River watersheds below normal. In the Scioto River basin of central Ohio, Paint Creek watershed is rated below normal. In the Great Miami River drainage area of west central and southwest Ohio, the Upper Great Miami River watershed has fallen below normal. Back to the northwest, the Lake Erie basin runs entirely below normal where it is not rated with moderate drought. No part of the northwest Lake Erie basin is unrated on the drought map Friday.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Hancock County: Some water connections in City of Findlay were under BWA this week following a water main break on Tuesday, Dec 3. Connections at 1421, 1431, 1439 and 1020 on Strong Avenue; at 1722 and 1728 on Williams Road; and 1700, 1701, 1704, 1710, 1721, 1724, 1801, 1851, 1903, 2136, 2139, 2140, 2144 and 2146 on Blanchard Avenue, are advised to sanitize their drinking water by boiling. From the City of Findlay officials, "As a precaution, state and local health officials recommend that, until further notice, consumers vigorously boil, for at least one minute, any water used for drinking (including water used to make ice), cooking, or oral hygiene or bottled water should be used."
According to City of Findlay, "The department is collecting samples from the affected area to assure that the water is free from any bacterial contamination. An additional notice will be given when the water boil advisory is lifted. Any questions should be directed to the Water Treatment Plant at 419-424-7193 or Water Distribution Department at 419-424-7460.
Findlay City operates under SDWA permit OH3200111 serving a population 20,234 from surface water sourced in the Blanchard River watershed. See yellow tags on the map to the right for the location of the Findlay water treatment plant. The water impact zone for Findlay shows when you enable the watershed layer with directional arrows. See also the hazardous materials spills in pink.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the oversight of Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, assisting drinking water facilities in Ohio to deliver quality drinking water. As of the latest reporting cycle, 66.7% of Ohio's licensed drinking water facilities are running compliant operations. When a breach occurs, a boil water advisory is issued for the impacted customers. WTOH.us posts these on the map to the right, in yellow.
Compare to the global record: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 73% of the world population, approximately 6 billion people, were served by safely-managed drinking water facilities in 2022. Microbiologically-contaminated drinking water is a reality for the balance of the global population. Even in North America, the best managed drinking water facilities experience periods of microbiological contamination. Power outages, loss of pressure in the distribution lines, pump failure, rupture of aging water mains, construction accidents and scheduled maintenance work can introduce contamination, prompting the boil water advisories posted here in yellow tags on the maps to the right.
See how drinking water facility compliance compares in Ohio, New York, Georgia, Louisiana and California, here.
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