CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — City officials in Chillicothe have provided an update to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding ongoing compliance efforts at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). This update comes in response to earlier concerns and violations reported by The Guardian, highlighting performance issues at the facility.
In a recently submitted program evaluation, the city outlined both its progress and challenges in managing the WWTP’s pretreatment program. While the evaluation affirmed the adequacy of the city’s sewer use ordinance and operating procedures, officials acknowledged limited achievements this year, citing staffing shortages as a significant obstacle.
“This year we did not have many accomplishments as we had a new, inexperienced coordinator that was not properly shown what needed to be done,” city officials noted in their correspondence. Despite these challenges, the city confirmed that inspections and most required sampling were completed, with one sampling event for Herr’s Food being missed.
Compliance Monitoring and Annual Certification
As part of the update, Chillicothe submitted its annual certification to the Ohio EPA, covering the reporting period of June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. The certification included detailed data on compliance monitoring, enforcement activities, and incidents at the WWTP.
Key highlights from the report include:
- Chillicothe’s significant industrial users (SIUs) were inspected and sampled during the reporting period.
- No significant noncompliance (SNC) violations were identified among the SIUs for issues related to sampling, reporting, or compliance schedules.
- No penalties, administrative orders, or legal actions were issued during the year.
The report also detailed pretreatment activities, sludge disposal methods, and sampling protocols. Monitoring of priority pollutants was conducted in partnership with MASI Laboratory, located in Plain City, Ohio.
Addressing Past Challenges
This update follows heightened scrutiny from the Ohio EPA after the WWTP faced prior violations for noncompliance and performance issues. The facility has been under increased oversight, and city officials are working to implement corrective actions.
While no enforcement actions were reported in the latest filing, the acknowledgment of staffing challenges and a missed sampling highlight the ongoing work required to ensure full compliance. City officials remain committed to improving operations and meeting all regulatory requirements.
