Village of Ashville, Ohio

Nuisance Odors in the Village of Ashville

The Village of Ashville is seeking assistance from citizens in identifying odor related issues in the community. We are asking citizens to be our noses across the Village and to report nuisance odors they perceive using the “Odor Report Form” (Form).  The form was designed to be a simple and quick check list of questions that can easily be answered. The questions will provide the Village with a standardized approach to identifying and classifying odors (wastewater, fires, gas, manufacturing, etc.) throughout the Village.

There are a couple of important issues to keep in mind as you complete the Form:

A - Name: Print your name in Section A and also sign it when you are finished.

B – General: The “Location” refers to where you are when you smell the nuisance odor. That location is generally noted by the name of the nearest intersection, landmark, or home address if you are at your house at the time.

C – Intensity:

1. Very Faint: barely perceptible
2. Very Light: may not be distinguishable
3. Light:  distinguished but not objectionable
4. Light-to-Moderate: distinguishable and at times objectionable
5. Moderate:  objectionable/irritating
6. Moderate-to-Strong: very distinct, pungent
7. Strong:  objectionable
8. Very Strong: overpowering and intolerable

E – Weather Conditions:  Wind speed can be defined by referring to the following description:

1. Calm: Smoke rises vertically
2. 1-5 mph: Wind is felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary wind vane is moved by wind
3. 5-15 mph: Leaves and twigs in constant motion; wind extends light flag dust, loose paper, and small branches are moved
4. Greater than 15 mph:  Small leaf trees begin to swale; large branches in motion; whistling in phone/electrical wires

Don’t forget to send the completed form to the Village. You can forward a copy of the completed Form to the Village using any of the following four (4) options:

1. Fold the Form in half and mail to the Village of Ashville, 200 East Station Street, Ashville, Ohio 43103.
2. Fax the completed Form to the Village of Ashville at 740/983-4703
3. Drop the Form off at the Village of Ashville Office which is the same address as 1. during office hours 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
4. Email completed form to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This Form can be downloaded from the Village website at www.ashvilleohio.gov. If you have any questions regarding this Form, please contact the Village of Ashville at 740/983-6367 during business hours (M-F; 8:00 am to 4:30 pm). Thank you for your time and effort in helping the Village of Ashville address nuisance odors.

Odor Control Monitoring Form  

There are two (2) types of sanitary lines. One is called the “Main” and it is the responsibility collectively of the Village. The second sanitary line is called the Sewer Lines“Lateral”. The lateral sanitary line runs from the main to your home or business. Keeping your lateral sanitary sewer line clean, open and in good repair reduces the risk of blockages, a basement backup and raw sewage leaking into the groundwater.

Maintaining your sanitary sewer line is simple. Understanding what your sanitary sewer line is, how it works, and contacting Village of Ashville Utility Department is all you need to do.

Maintaining Your Sanitary Sewer Line Is Every Homeowners Responsibility

As a property owner you are responsible for:

1. Keeping the sanitary sewer line clear of blockages and debris
2. Repairing any broken or collapsed portions of the line located on your property

By not properly maintaining your sanitary sewer line, you may be financially responsible for any damage to yours or your neighbor’s property caused by your sanitary sewer line.

What is a Sanitary Sewer Line?

Your “Sanitary Sewer Line” is the lateral sewer line that connects your home to the public sewer system. Wastewater from your toilets, sinks, showers, and washing machine travels through your sanitary sewer line to the public sewer main line which carries it to the nearest wastewater plant for treatment.

How Does My Sanitary Sewer Line Effect Neighbors And The Public Sewer System?

Your Neighbors

If your sanitary sewer line is broken or leaking, raw sewage could be seeping into the ground water. Ground water passes to your neighbors yards, to creeks, to streams, specifically Walnut Creek or Scioto River.

Public Sewer System

A broken or cracked sanitary sewer line can allow storm water to enter and create a system overload causing backups and overflows throughout the Village of Ashville’s public sewer system.\

What Can Cause My Sanitary Sewer Line To Clog, Crack Or Break?

Blockages are most often caused by excessive buildups of grease (a result of pouring cooking grease and fat down the kitchen sink). When flushed, plastic and other non-soluble materials such as baby wipes, diapers, feminine products and kitty litter can also get caught in the line and block the flow of wastewater through the system.

A common problem is also tree and shrub roots that have grown into the line. Sanitary sewer lines installed prior to 1980 in Ashville are primarily made of cast iron or clay and can deteriorate or become brittle over time. Roots seek water and will find their way through cracks and holes causing blockages and further damage.

Unfortunately, contractors can also cause damage to sewer lines due to inexperience and improper tool usage.

What Do I Need To Do?

You need to call a plumbing company or plumber to have your sanitary sewer line inspected. Make sure that they have the capacity to video tape. A video inspection camera will be fed through your line so you can view the lines condition; then your line will be cleaned and cleared of any blockages and repairs made if necessary.

Please, do not delay. Protect your home and our environment by inspecting your lateral sanitary line.

Saving Big Money

The facility responsible for such blockages can be found liable for the costs to clean and clear the sewer line and possibly for any costs for damage done to adjoining properties, as well as for fines for violation of local ordinances.

Preventing Denial of Service

Regulations may also require the installation of a larger, more efficient grease trap. It is even possible that the offender might be disconnected from sewer service to halt or prevent a discharge that presents an imminent endangerment to the health or welfare of the population.

Ways for Restaurants to Help

Never pour used grease, fats and oils down the sink drain. Adding hot water, detergent, or even commercial degreasers* does not help. Grease that is liquefied will still become solid again when it enters the public system.

*The use of additives (chemical or biological) or hot water to emulsify grease and allow it to pass through a grease trap circumvents the purpose of the trap and is therefore not acceptable.

It is highly recommended that an external storage bin be used to collect fats, oils and grease generated in the preparation of food. This grease can then be hauled away by a scavenger company for proper disposal. F.O.G. should be deposited in these grease bins and not dumped down a sanitary sewer where it will congeal and plug up the sewer line.

Inspection Programs

The Village of Ashville’s Utility Department staff may make unscheduled random visits to food service license holders to:

• Verify that the maintenance and frequency of grease removal from the restaurant's grease trap is appropriate. The grease trap must be cleaned and the grease removed on a schedule that will prevent grease from passing through the trap system and entering the public sewer system.
• Verify that the grease trap is in sound operating condition. Check for deterioration and possible need for replacement.
• Verify that grease trap "additives" are not being used.

Existing Establishments

While existing restaurants and food service establishments are allowed to use interior or the smaller type of exterior grease trap that was legal at the time of their construction as long as they do not contribute grease to the sanitary sewer lines, it is recommended that they "upgrade" to the current specifications. Problems with grease clogging sewer lines in their vicinity or discovery, upon inspection, of improperly maintained grease traps will result in a mandate to install the required type.

If you have any questions regarding these very important issues, please call the James Welsh 740/983-6367.

Click For Information about The GREASE BLOB

Tree Permit

Do I Need A Tree Permit?

Tree permits relate to planting, pruning, or removal of trees. To determine whether you need a tree permit, you must first determine if your tree is on private or public property.

Private Property

If your tree is on your private property, you DO NOT need a tree permit.

Public Right-of-Way

If your existing or planned tree is in the public right-of-way, you may need a tree permit depending on the kind of work you will be doing on the tree. Since the width of the right-of-way varies from street to street, and sometimes from block to block, you should always check before working on trees anywhere near roads or alleys.

Unsure

If you are unsure if your tree is in the right-of-way, please contact our office at 740-983-6367, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

My tree is in the public right-of-way

If you have determined that your tree is in the right-of-way, these are the ONLY two conditions in which a tree permit is NOT required.

1. Planting with assistance from the Village of Ashville Tree Advisory Board
   • You may plant a tree in the right-of-way as long as you contact the Village of Ashville for technical assistance beforehand. (homeowners planting at residential locations only)
2. Minor Pruning*
   • You may engage in minor pruning if it meets these all three of these requirements.
     1. Branches being pruned do not exceed two inches in diameter
     2. Pruning does not exceed 15% canopy loss
     3. The tree is more than 10 feet from a power line

*Planting and pruning work must meet Village Arboricultural Specifications and Standards and Standard Planting Diagram.

Any tree work within a right-of-way that does not meet the above conditions DOES require a tree permit, and you must follow the steps below.

How to apply for a Public Tree Permit

Step one: Hire a Certified Arborist from our list.

Disclosure: This is a list of tree services that meet minimum qualifications for a Village of Ashville Commercial Tree Service License. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement from Ashville.

*Currently qualified to provide Risk Assessements, ~as of October, 2020

Step two: Your Certified Arborist fills out the online Public Tree Permit Application and submits it to the Village of Ashville.

Step three: Village of Ashville staff will review your application and inspect the tree site before approving or denying the Public Tree Permit Application. We will notify the applicant of the decision, typically within 2 working days. Do not begin any tree work until an approved permit has been issued.

Because it only takes a moment to improperly prune or remove a tree but a lifetime to grow the right tree in the right place, it is imperative to protect and preserve mature trees from unnecessary damage or removal.

Therefore all pruning, planting, and removals of public trees within the public rights-of-way (or any public tree located on Village property) must be performed by an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist with a current Commercial Tree License (PDF 96 KB) and an approved Public Tree Permit. A street obstruction permit may also be required to perform the work and can be obtained through Village of Ashville, 740-983-6367.

Different site conditions can dictate which tree species are most appropriate for different planting locations within the Village. For guidance on species selection, please consult our Approved Street Tree List (PDF 6.8 MB).

• Parks and Recreation
• Parks
• Recreation

Contact Information

Administration Officel
200 East Station Street
Ashville, Ohio 43103
Phone: 740-983-6367
Fax: 740-983-4703
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Online PermittingPublic Tree Permit

Items of Interest

• Approved Street Tree List (PDF 6.8 MB)
• Standard Planting Diagram (PDF 155 KB)
• Aboricultural Specifications (PDF 3.1 MB)
• Urban Forestry Quadrant Map (PDF 21 KB)
• Online Public Tree Permit Guidesheet (PDF 161 KB)
• Online Public Tree Permit Step by Step (PDF 523 KB)
• October 2020 Newsletter Urban Forestry Announced (PDF 2.934)

How to Save Money with Your Swimming Pool?

Residents of Ashville are eligible for Sewer Service Credits. This is possible since the water used to fill the pool does not enter into the sewer system.

Meters can be picked up no more than 24 hours before filling your pool.

You will be provided a meter that can be attached to a garden hose.

There is a penalty fee of $10.00 if the meter is not returned within the 72 hour period.

The credit should appear in next billing cycle.

 The sewer charge is See Link for Rates per 1,000 gallons. A credit versus service charge becomes cost affective at 1,400 gallons.

The request for a sewer credit will automatically generate a review on the status of a pool permit.

This can be used to document the process:
    

Name__________________________  Address__________________________  Phone_____________

Signature___________________________        Approval Signature_____________________________

Meter Number_______________________

Date Meter Taken_____________________        Date Meter Returned___________________________

Meter Reading When Taken_____________         Meter Reading When Returned___________________

$10 penalty for late return.                                Return meter by__________________ to avoid penalty.