CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio – Logan Elm Local Schools has officially resolved long-standing wastewater violations after implementing corrective measures to address excessive sludge levels in its wastewater treatment system, according to a resolution issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on February 6, 2025.
The resolution follows a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued on June 11, 2024, after an inspection on May 22, 2024, revealed multiple exceedances of effluent limits over a five-year period.
EPA Cites Years of Compliance Issues
According to the Ohio EPA, Logan Elm Schools violated its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit 23 times between May 1, 2019, and May 1, 2024. The violations involved key water quality parameters, including:
• Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
• CBOD (Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand, 5-day)
• Ammonia
• Dissolved Oxygen
• E. coli
The violations resulted in the school’s wastewater system being placed in Significant Non-Compliance (SNC) due to repeated ammonia exceedances.
Corrective Actions Taken by Logan Elm
After receiving the NOV, school officials responded to the Ohio EPA on July 2, 2024, outlining steps taken to correct the violations. The school determined that excessive sludge levels in its Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) system were the primary cause of the effluent violations.
To bring the system back into compliance, Logan Elm implemented a strict sludge monitoring protocol, requiring:
• Sludge levels to be checked three times per week
• Waste removal as necessary to maintain a 20-30% sludge level
The school also acknowledged that removing underdrains tied into the wastewater system would be cost-prohibitive at this time but noted that further action could be considered if monitoring alone was insufficient.
EPA Confirms Compliance, Lifts Violation
Following a review of monthly reports on February 5, 2025, the Ohio EPA confirmed that Logan Elm Schools had not recorded any violations since March 2024. As a result, the school is no longer classified as being in Significant Non-Compliance (SNC), and the state agency formally closed the case.
A Step Toward Improved Environmental Management
With the Ohio EPA now considering the matter resolved, Logan Elm Schools has successfully addressed its wastewater compliance issues, ensuring better environmental stewardship moving forward.
State officials emphasized the importance of continued monitoring to prevent future violations and maintain long-term compliance with environmental regulations.