Vincent Osborn contributed to this story
Ohio Environmental and Protection Services (EPA) has handed down a violation to Carroll County Environmental Services (CCS) after wastewater made it’s way into Lake Mohawk.
It’s alleged workers pumped untreated wastewater from its sanitary sewer lift station, located south of 373 West Mohawk Drive, Brown Township into a catch basin on West Mohawk Drive that outfalls into an unnamed tributary to Lake Mohawk, which flows approximately 370 feet south and discharges into Lake Mohawk.
Many complaints were received by lake residents, forcing the Ohio EPA to conduct a compliance review to determine the validity of the complaints.
In a letter to Ralph Castelucci, the Director of CCES, the Ohio EPA informed him of two violations regarding the dumping of the wastewater.
1. ORC 6111.04(A)1); No person shall cause pollution or place or cause to be placed any
sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes in a location where they
cause pollution of any waters of the state.
ORC 6111.07 (A); No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code or violate any order, rule, or term or condition of a permit issued or adopted by the director of environmental protection pursuant to those sections, Each day of violation is a separate offense.
(a) Violation Description: The facility pumped untreated wastewater from its sanitary sewer lift station into “waters of the state.
(b) Additional Information: The primary pump that served the sanitary sewer lift station had failed. The secondary pump that served the sanitary sewer lift station had previously been removed for maintenance. CCES pumped approximately 8,000 gallons of wastewater into “waters of the state” to allow pump installation and repairs to be implemented within the sanitary sewer lift station.
(c) Requested Action: Please submit an operation and maintenance plan that details how the facility will prevent future unauthorized discharges from the lift stations located within its sewerage collection system.