How are these sources protected?

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has developed a program called Ohio's Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) which is designed to protect our sources of drinking water. Through this program, the Ohio EPA has endorsed “the Delineation and Potential Contaminant Source Inventory components of the Village of Ashville’s drinking water source protection plan as meeting the requirements of the Ohio Wellhead Protection and Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs”.  According to this study, the aquifer (water-rich zone) that supplies water to the Village of Ashville has a high susceptibility to contamination.  This determination is based on the following:

• presence of a relatively thin protective layer of clay/shale/other overlying the aquifer,
• shallow depth (less than 50 feet below ground surface) of the uppermost aquifer, and
• presence of significant potential contaminant sources in the protection area.

This susceptibility means that under currently existing conditions, the likelihood of the aquifer becoming contaminated is relatively high.  This likelihood can be minimized by implementing appropriate protective measures. More specifically this report identified seven (7) potential significant sources of contamination within the one year capture zones. They include: (1)sanitary sewer lines, (2,3,4) source wells, (5)natural gas line, (6) Ashville Park, and (7) municipal road maintenance. More information about the source water assessment or what consumers can do to help protect the aquifer is available by calling Tom Bouts, Jim Welsh, or Franklin Christman at 740-983-6367.