KINGSTON, Ohio — The Village of Kingston is under serious scrutiny from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), facing separate compliance actions regarding its drinking water system and its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Ohio EPA documents indicate widespread issues and the threat of substantial penalties.
DRINKING WATER VIOLATIONS: FAILURES TO TEST & INFORM 🚱
Ohio EPA records show multiple violations for the Kingston Village Public Water System (PWS):
Transparency Failure (Oct. 10, 2025): An Ohio EPA Warning Letter cites the Village for failing to issue mandatory annual Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) for both 2023 and 2024. These reports are legally required to inform residents about drinking water quality. The EPA has instructed the Village to issue the overdue 2024 report by Dec. 31, 2025, or face potential administrative or civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day for each violation.
Failed Public Disclosure (Aug. 20, 2025): The EPA issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) stating the Village failed to inform customers that it had not properly monitored or tested for total coliform bacteria during the June 2024 monitoring period.
WASTEWATER PLANT IN "SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE" 💩
On Oct. 9, 2025, the Ohio EPA issued a Director's Final Findings and Orders to the Village for its Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), detailing years of noncompliance:
Pollution Violations: The EPA found the Village in significant noncompliance with its discharge permit limits for pollutants, including ammonia, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD), and total suspended solids (TSS). The Village itself reported 43 effluent limit violations in May 2025.
Maintenance Deficiencies: The EPA's order states the WWTP is not being maintained in good working order, citing issues such as sand filters severely overgrown with vegetation.
Mandated Timeline: The Village, having received prior violation notices in Nov. 2022 and Dec. 2024, has waived its right to appeal the current order. It must now comply with a strict schedule:
60 days to submit a preliminary facility plan.
9 months to submit permit applications and begin construction.
24 months to complete construction.
All information provided came from public Ohio EPA documents. Those documents can be viewed at the following link: Related Documents
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