WELLSTON, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued a partial resolution of violation notice to the city of Wellston over “excessive unaccounted-for” water loss in its public water system, giving the city until December 31, 2028, to bring the problem under control.
The notice, dated May 8, and addressed to Mayor Anthony Brenner, follows a sanitary survey notice of violation issued by the Ohio EPA’s Southeast District Office on April 7, 2026. The city has responded to some of the violations cited in that original notice, but at least one remains outstanding.
According to the correspondence, the city’s water system is losing more than 30 percent of the water produced by its treatment plants without being able to account for where it is going. The Ohio EPA requires public water systems to keep unaccounted-for water loss below the 30 percent threshold.
In an April 29 email to state regulators, local officials acknowledged the issue and stated the problem would be addressed by December 31, 2028.
Officials now have until that date to provide documentation proving that the community’s unaccounted-for water loss is below 30 percent of total water produced.
The Ohio EPA warned in the notice that failure to comply with Chapter 6109 of the Ohio Revised Code could result in administrative or civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day for each outstanding violation.