PIKETON, Ohio — Ohio environmental regulators issued a new notice of violation Wednesday to the Village of Piketon’s public water system, the third enforcement action since October, as residents continue to report discolored water, rising bills, and uncertainty about whether their tap water is safe to use.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said the latest violation was prompted by continued high levels of iron and manganese detected in November sampling, despite earlier warnings to the village to correct problems with its aging filtration system. The agency said the water “meets state and federal standards for safety,” and emphasized that no boil advisory is in place.
The new violation comes as Piketon residents have spent weeks posting photos of brown and yellow tap water, saying they cannot drink, cook with, or wash clothes in it. Many say they are paying high water rates while relying on bottled water or hauling jugs from neighboring Waverly.
Ohio EPA inspectors first cited the village in October after a manganese exceedance. A follow‑up inspection on Dec. 10 found that a filter used to remove iron and manganese was not functioning properly and that the air system used to backwash the filter was inoperable. When those minerals are not removed before chlorination, they oxidize and cause the widespread discoloration residents have reported.
The agency issued a second violation on Dec. 16 and gave the village 30 days to explain how it would fix the problem. Piketon officials told the state they would repair the filter at the 73‑year‑old water plant while waiting for a long‑delayed replacement treatment facility, now expected to come online in May 2026. Repairs to the old filter were completed on Tuesday, and the system was placed back into service on Wednesday, according to the EPA.
The village plans to flush waterlines across the community on Jan. 5, a step the agency says should help reduce discoloration and bring iron and manganese levels back into compliance.
Even as the state maintains the water is safe to drink, residents say the lack of clarity has deepened mistrust. In an email to the agency this week, residents and advocates questioned why the state has not conducted broader testing, including radiological activity.
Earlier reporting this year highlighted gaps in Ohio’s routine monitoring requirements, including the absence of testing for certain radionuclides such as Technetium‑99, a radioactive byproduct associated with the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon. The Ohio EPA has acknowledged that state and federal rules do not require public water systems to test for that isotope, despite independent sampling showing its prevalence in Pike County.
For now, the agency says Piketon’s water remains within regulatory limits and that it will continue working with the village as repairs move forward. But many residents say the assurances ring hollow as they wait for clear water — and a long‑promised new treatment plant — to finally arrive.
