MCD works hard to protect our water

With its abundant supply of high quality groundwater, the buried valley aquifer system is the most important aquifer in southwest Ohio. MCD works to study and protect groundwater through testing, reporting, educating, and stewardship activities. Proper management of this resource will ensure the aquifer continues to support and enhance the region’s economy and quality of life. Highlights …

Water protection is more important than ever

Every public water system in Ohio that relies on groundwater has a defined source water protection area. A source water protection area is a map of all the land area over the aquifers which provide drinking water to a particular public water system.  It is the responsibility of each municipal public water system to develop …

This year marks 100 years of flood protection by MCD

By Don O'Connor, Chief Engineer While there is a persistent fear of flooding in cities around the world, people and businesses along the Great Miami River go confidently about their lives hardly giving flooding a thought. Since 1922, homes and businesses have been protected by MCD’s system of five dry dams, retarding basins, 55 miles of levees, and …

PFAS Part IV – PFAS in Major Rivers of the Great Miami River Watershed

By Mike Ekberg, manager of water resources monitoring and analysis Are PFAS compounds present in our rivers and if so at what levels or concentrations are they present?  Recent river water sampling by the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) shows some Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) compounds present in all of the major rivers. The results …

“Think” theme for Groundwater Awareness Week, March 10-16

By Sarah Hippensteel Hall, Ph.D., manager for watershed partnerships Many of us never think twice about groundwater—where it comes from, how much there is, or how to protect it. We just turn on the spigot and water flows. But maybe it’s time to think for a minute about this amazing resource that keeps us all …

A little goes a long way with septic system maintenance

By Mike Ekberg, manager for water resources monitoring and analysis The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” rings especially true if you have a septic system. Consider this: It only costs about $300 every four years to maintain your septic system. But it can cost $7,000 to $10,000 or …

Pollution shut down Toledo’s drinking water system – could it happen here?

By Sarah Hippensteel Hall, manager for watershed partnerships Guest contributor Last year, pollution in Lake Erie halted Toledo’s delivery of its drinking water to 400,000 people for several days. It happened when water that Toledo pulls from the lake was found to have dangerously high levels of microcystin, a toxin that is produced by algae. Microcystin …