Charmed ,I'm Sure!
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When Charm, Ohio was introduced to EPA orders demanding the construction of a central sewer system, the reception was less than cordial. Sampling for Phase II Stormwater compliance had revealed dangerously high fecal coliform levels in the local watershed. The orders required the creation of an entirely new public infrastructure, including a collection system and treatment works, and the abandonment of all existing septic tanks. Much less charming was how this small farming village of 86 people could afford the estimated $3 million price tag. Background Information Located within Holmes County in northeast Ohio, the Village of Charm is home to restaurants, bakeries and quaint gift shops. In the heart of Amish Country, Charm has become a popular tourist attraction. On August 7, 1998, representatives from the Ohio EPA sampled the surface water within, and downstream of, the village. On September 9, 1998, a Notice of Violation was issued to the Holmes County Commissioners citing, “The unnamed tributary of Doughty Creek which runs through the Village was found to contain fecal coliform in excess of the 5,000 per 100 milliliters.” The concentrations of fecal coliform indicated a violation of the secondary contact water quality standard. The Notice of Violation also requested the Holmes County Commissioners provide the EPA “with a schedule of improvements and costs for providing sanitary sewer service to the Unincorporated Village of Charm.” After a door-to-door survey was conducted by EPA officials, Ohio Department of Health representatives and Holmes County sanitarians, they realized that onsite treatment did not exist in many cases. Visual inspections led the survey team creek-side, where they discovered straight pipe discharges saturating the area with sewage and household waste. Nearly thirty of the small community’s homes and businesses were discharging raw sewage to nearby ditches and tributaries of Doughty Creek. Centralized vs. Decentralized In the spring of 1999, the Charm Sewage Advisory Committee was formed. The committee was comprised of business owners and residents affected by the EPA orders. They set out to determine the “scope of the problem” and the financial feasibility of a central sewer system. The Committee agreed that the Holmes County Environmental Management District would act as advisors for the project. After lengthy meetings with all parties, the Management District Charm “Adequately managed decentralized systems can protect public health and the environment as well as provide long-term solutions for the nation’s wastewater needs.” (USEPA Response to Congress) Charmed, I’m Sure!

- 2 - responded to the Ohio EPA with a statement that “the threat of enforcement action and fines has created an environment of panic that is interfering with Charm’s ability to reach an organized, affordable solution that involves community participation and understanding.” A feasibility study was conducted to determine the service area, number of users, total discharge volumes and various funding options. As a result of the study, the Holmes County Environmental Management District determined that “the construction of a public collection and treatment system will be a substantial...

- 3 - USEPA, pathogens are one of the top causes of waterbody impairment. If it is found that the waterbody does not meet the established criteria, it is placed on the “303(d) list.” The Walhonding watershed, which incorporates the Doughty Creek tributaries that run through Holmes County, was placed on this list in 1998. In Ohio alone, over 500 communities have been required to evaluate and eliminate sources of illicit wastewater discharges under the Phase II Storm Water Regulations. The widespread evaluation of individual watersheds and the push toward centralized sewer systems has incited...

DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY BY: ©MMV NORWECO, INC. PROGRESS THROUGH SERVICE SINCE 1906 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Sampling Events Before After Fecal Coliform Concentrations Before and After System Upgrades 220 REPUBLIC STREET NORWALK, OHIO, USA 44857-1196 TELEPHONE (419) 668-4471 FAX (419) 663-5440 www.norweco.com 5,000 - USEPA Secondary Limits A Solution for Long-Term Success The decision to construct a collection system and treatment works or to use onsite treatment and disposal must be evaluated on a community by community...