ASHVILLE, Ohio — The Village of Ashville has hit a significant roadblock in its development plans, with no new homes permitted for construction due to the capacity constraints of its wastewater treatment plant. Despite the Ohio EPA’s clarification, the situation remains complex for the small community. In addition, they are raising their water bills.
Starting in 2025, the water rate will increase by $2.35 per 1,000 gallons. Of this increase, $0.98 will go toward water usage costs, while $1.37 will fund a water tower maintenance program. The rates, though, are not going to a critical issue the village faces.
The wastewater treatment facility in Ashville, located at 67 S. Scioto Street, is currently operating at full capacity, designed to handle 0.6 million gallons per day (MGD) with a median daily flow of 0.409 MGD. This situation has led to a halt in new housing developments within the village, although homes with private wells are still allowed to continue, provided they do not connect to the village’s sewer system.
Bryant Somerville, a spokesperson for the Ohio EPA, clarified the situation by stating, “Ohio EPA is not slowing down nor halting Ashville’s ability to build new homes.” He pointed out that the plant is under a Notice of Violation (NOV) for an ammonia issue with its discharge but emphasized that this NOV does not impact the village’s ability to expand housing. “The Village of Ashville’s wastewater treatment plant is currently at capacity. This means the Village must now expand its facility to accommodate growth. The next steps would be for the Village to formulate and present an expansion plan to Ohio EPA for approval,” Somerville added.
However, the village’s expansion plans have been stymied by this capacity issue. A 2014 consent agreement between the State EPA and the Village of Ashville under Ohio Revised Code Chapters 6111 and 3745 outlines that the village must submit detailed design plans and applications for permits to install and operate new treatment facilities. The agreement also mandates corrective actions for the collection system, including reducing infiltration and inflow (I/I) to ensure compliance with NPDES permits.
Historical noncompliance issues, including numerous sanitary sewer overflows and violations of effluent limitations, have been documented, leading to significant environmental and regulatory concerns. The agreement required the village to pay civil penalties and implement a supplemental environmental project for its potable water system as part of the settlement.
According to the information provided in the consent agreement from 2014 between the State of Ohio EPA and the Village of Ashville:
- The Village of Ashville was required to pay $40,000 in settlement of the Ohio EPA’s claim for civil penalties.
- From this total, $10,000 was to be paid directly to the Ohio EPA within thirty (30) days of the effective date of the orders.
- The remaining $30,000 of the civil penalty was to be offset by the implementation of a supplemental environmental project (SEP) with a cost of $35,000.
Thus, the total civil penalties assessed were $40,000.
The town’s village administrator and mayor did not answer their phones when the Guardian called multiple times for an interview.
Residents in Ashville are thus left in a waiting period as the village works towards resolving the wastewater treatment capacity, a process that will undoubtedly influence future development and the community’s ability to accommodate new residents.