JEFFERSONVILLE, Ohio — The small village of Jeffersonville’s public water system violated state environmental regulations last year by failing to promptly collect required E. coli samples from its wells after detecting total coliform bacteria in the distribution system, according to a public notice issued by local officials.
The incident occurred on July 7, 2024, when the system identified a routine total coliform positive result but delayed collecting the necessary well water samples for E. coli testing. Although the samples were eventually gathered, the delay constituted a monitoring violation under Ohio Environmental Protection Agency rules. Officials emphasized that the lapse did not pose an immediate health risk and required no action from residents, such as boiling water.
“There is nothing you need to do at this time,” the notice stated. “You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours. We will announce any emergencies on local radio and television stations.”
Jeffersonville, a rural village in Fayette County with a population of about 1,250 residents, relies on groundwater wells for its drinking water supply. The community, located roughly 50 miles southwest of Columbus, has faced scrutiny over water quality in recent years, including a separate E. coli maximum contaminant level violation confirmed later that month after routine sampling on July 8 revealed fecal contamination in one of three required repeat samples.
Under Ohio EPA regulations, which align with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act’s Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR), public water systems must monitor for total coliform bacteria as an indicator of potential contamination. Total coliforms themselves are not necessarily harmful but signal the possible presence of pathogens. If a routine sample tests positive, systems are required to collect at least three repeat samples within 24 hours from the same sampling site or nearby locations. For groundwater systems like Jeffersonville’s, additional E. coli testing of source water — the wells — is mandated to assess for fecal contamination risks, which can cause symptoms like diarrhea, nausea and cramps, particularly in vulnerable populations such as infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
The RTCR, implemented nationwide by the U.S. EPA in 2013 and adopted by Ohio, aims to identify and fix problems in distribution systems more effectively than previous rules. Ohio EPA oversees compliance for the state’s roughly 7,000 public water systems, requiring certified labs to analyze samples and report results. Violations like delayed sampling can trigger assessments, corrective actions and public notifications, but they do not automatically mean the water is unsafe unless E. coli or other contaminants exceed limits.
In Jeffersonville’s case, the Ohio EPA conducted a Level 2 assessment following the July detections, identified the contamination source and mandated five corrective measures, all of which the village completed, according to its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report. The report, a federally required annual summary of water quality, also noted that the system issued boil water alerts and posted public notices within 24 hours of learning about the positive E. coli result.
Village officials did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment on the monitoring delay. Ohio EPA records show the system had at least one active violation logged for the July 2024 period related to its distribution facilities. Broader state data indicates Ohio public water systems averaged about 1.7 health-based violations per community system in recent years, though monitoring lapses like Jeffersonville’s are more common administrative issues.
Residents can access more details through the village’s annual water quality report or Ohio EPA’s online violation database.