Jeffersonville's Wastewater Plant Under Fire for Chronic Pollution, Neglected Infrastructure

A new watchdog report, based on an Ohio EPA investigation, paints a grim picture of Jeffersonville’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) No. 2, revealing a pervasive pattern of environmental non-compliance, operational neglect, and significant infrastructure decay that poses substantial risks to public health and the ecological integrity of Sugar Creek.

The report, spurred by the Ohio EPA's June 5, 2025, Second Notice of Violation and accompanying National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Inspection Report, details systemic failures at the facility.

Key Findings:

• Systemic Non-Compliance: From March 2020 to May 2025, WWTP No. 2 recorded a staggering 150 permit effluent limit violations and 11 permit effluent frequency violations. These breaches involve critical pollutants such as E. coli, phosphorus, nitrogen, ammonia, and dissolved oxygen, indicating a fundamental breakdown in wastewater treatment processes.
• Rampant Raw Sewage Overflows: Over the same five-year period, 468 Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) events were reported. This equates to nearly eight SSOs per month, funneling raw or partially treated sewage directly into Sugar Creek. A manhole at 31 N Main St., the subject of an initial complaint in April, was still actively overflowing into Sugar Creek during a May 7, 2025, follow-up inspection.
• Overwhelmed Infrastructure: The plant, designed to treat 0.5 million gallons per day (MGD), is routinely inundated by flows exceeding 1 MGD, with peaks reaching 2.067 MGD. This hydraulic overload, largely attributed to severe Inflow/Infiltration (I/I) within the collection system, directly compromises treatment efficacy and leads to frequent raw sewage discharges.
• Chronic Operational Neglect: A comprehensive inspection uncovered widespread operational and maintenance failures. These include a broken RAS pit pump and poly pump, an offline oxidation ditch, a non-functional SCADA system, a missing UV disinfection bulb, and a severe neglect of sludge wasting since 2018. These deficiencies directly impair the plant's ability to treat wastewater effectively.
• Escalating Regulatory Concern: The Ohio EPA has issued a Second Notice of Violation, demanding immediate action, including a comprehensive plan to mitigate future SSOs and a review of reporting accuracy. The agency explicitly warns of potential administrative or civil penalties for continued non-compliance.

The persistent discharge of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater into Sugar Creek represents an ongoing and severe threat to the environment and the well-being of the Jeffersonville community. The findings suggest a pattern of chronic underinvestment and inadequate management that necessitates urgent and transparent intervention from Jeffersonville Village authorities to safeguard its citizens and natural resources.

A Second Warning for Jeffersonville

The Ohio EPA's involvement began April 7, 2025, after a complaint confirmed an active SSO discharging raw sewage from a manhole directly into Sugar Creek. This prompted a first Notice of Violation on April 17, 2025.

Despite the Village of Jeffersonville's May 7, 2025, response indicating the engagement of Hydrous Water Infrastructure Design to assess and plan upgrades for a specific lift station, a subsequent Ohio EPA inspection on the same day found the manhole at 31 N Main St. still actively overflowing. This failure to resolve the ongoing discharge directly led to the Second Notice of Violation on June 5, 2025.

The Second Notice of Violation is formally addressed to Mayor Mike Kirchner, with Jamie Self as the Operator of Record for the WWTP and Stephanie Stewart as the Village Administrator. Joanna Asuncion, an Environmental Specialist II from the Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water, is the primary contact for compliance and enforcement.

A Pattern of Pollution: Chronic Failure to Treat

Compliance data reveals the severity of the problem. Between March 1, 2020, and May 1, 2025, the plant had 150 instances where discharged wastewater exceeded legal limits for pollutants and 11 instances of failing to conduct required monitoring. These violations spanned critical environmental parameters including Dissolved Oxygen, Total Phosphorus, E. coli, Nitrogen, Ammonia, Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD 5 day), and Total Suspended Solids.

The extraordinary number of reported SSOs — 468 over five years — points to a severely compromised and overstressed wastewater collection system throughout Jeffersonville. The persistence of the active overflow at 31 N Main St. for over a month further highlights critical deficiencies in emergency response and infrastructure maintenance.

While the Operator of Record, Mr. Self, suggested some SSO events may have been reported in error, the sheer volume of incidents indicates a widespread systemic failure.

Violation Type: Permit Effluent Limit Violations Count: 150 Key Parameters: Dissolved Oxygen, Total Phosphorus, E. coli, Nitrogen, Ammonia, CBOD 5 day, Total Suspended Solids Time Period: March 1, 2020 - May 1, 2025

Violation Type: Permit Effluent Frequency Violations Count: 11 Key Parameters: E.coli, Total Suspended Solids, CBOD 5 day, Total Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Ammonia Time Period: March 1, 2020 - May 1, 2025

Violation Type: Reported Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Events Count: 468 Key Parameters: N/A (Direct sewage discharge) Time Period: March 1, 2020 - May 1, 2025

Overwhelmed and Undermaintained: The Root Causes

The extensive list of violations stems from two primary root causes: severe hydraulic capacity overload due to Inflow/Infiltration (I/I) and a pervasive pattern of neglected operations and maintenance.

The WWTP No. 2, designed for 0.5 MGD, frequently experiences flows exceeding 1 MGD, with peaks over 2 MGD. This excessive flow, largely attributed to I/I (stormwater and groundwater entering sewer pipes), directly compromises treatment efficacy and leads to both effluent violations and SSOs.

The Ohio EPA inspection also uncovered a litany of operational and maintenance failures:

• Critical Equipment Breakdowns: The RAS pit pump and poly pump, vital for biological treatment and sludge dewatering, respectively, have been broken since 2024.
• Offline Treatment Units: Oxidation Ditch #2 was offline during the May 7, 2025, inspection, significantly reducing effective treatment capacity.
• Infrastructure Disrepair: Algal growth was observed in clarifier weirs and walls, and digester supernatant valves were broken.
• Monitoring System Failure: The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system broke down just one day before the inspection, hindering real-time process control.
• Compromised Disinfection: One UV disinfection basin was missing a bulb, directly threatening public health by compromising pathogen removal.
• Severe Sludge Management Neglect: Most alarmingly, sludge wasting — essential for maintaining healthy biological treatment — has not occurred since 2018.

Deficiency: RAS pit pump broken Observed Date/Period: 2024 Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Impairs return of activated sludge, vital for biological treatment efficiency.

Deficiency: Poly pump for sludge dewatering offline Observed Date/Period: 2024 Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Prevents proper dewatering and disposal of sludge, leading to accumulation and reduced treatment capacity.

Deficiency: Oxidation Ditch #2 offline Observed Date/Period: At time of inspection (May 7, 2025) Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Halves biological treatment capacity, leading to higher CBOD, Ammonia, and Nitrogen in effluent.

Deficiency: Algal growth in clarifier weirs and walls Observed Date/Period: At time of inspection (May 7, 2025) Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Indicates poor housekeeping, potential for solids carryover, and nutrient issues.

Deficiency: Supernatant valves for both digesters broken Observed Date/Period: At time of inspection (May 7, 2025) Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Impairs proper sludge management and liquid separation, affecting overall process stability.

Deficiency: SCADA system broken down Observed Date/Period: May 6, 2025 (day before inspection) Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Eliminates real-time monitoring and control, preventing operators from optimizing processes or responding to issues.

Deficiency: One UV disinfection basin missing a bulb Observed Date/Period: At time of inspection (May 7, 2025) Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Compromises disinfection efficiency, leading to higher E. coli counts in discharged water.

Deficiency: No sludge wasting Observed Date/Period: Since 2018 Impact on Plant Operations/Treatment: Leads to excessive solids accumulation, reduced effective treatment volume, and an unhealthy biological process, impacting all effluent parameters.

Management and Response: A Call for Accountability

The Ohio EPA has given Mayor Kirchner clear directives: submit a detailed plan to mitigate future SSOs throughout the entire collection system, review all previously reported SSO events for accuracy, and provide comprehensive documentation within 30 days detailing all actions taken or planned to resolve the violations.

The EPA explicitly warns that failure to comply with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 6111.07 may result in administrative or civil penalties.

While the Village’s decision to engage an external consulting firm for a lift station assessment is a positive step, given the overwhelming breadth of documented violations, this initial response appears narrowly focused.