Well-Fair Check Follow Up

Did you know that nearly one-fifth of American households depend on septic systems to treat their wastewater, and those numbers are even higher in rural areas like those in the Mohican River watershed?

On July 13, nearly 50 Ashland and Holmes County residents gathered at the Loudonville Public Library to learn about well and septic health. The event was hosted by Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (Ashland SWCD), in conjunction with Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District (Holmes SWCD), Ashland County Health Department, and HolmesCounty Health Department.

The event featured three guest speakers: Colton Tennant from the Holmes County Health Department, Pat Donaldson from the Ashland County Health Department, and Heather Doherty, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.

Ashland SWCD offered drinking water testing for residents with well water. Loudonville and Mapleton FFA members were on hand to test the drinking water samples. FFA members in attendance included Jay Kettering, Kaden Luster, Steven Ringler, and Blane Young.

The FFA members tested nearly 20 drinking water samples for nitrate and nitrite. Residents received their test results after the program and were able to connect with representatives from each county’s health department to develop a plan for further testing and solutions.

Colton Tennant, Water Quality Programs Supervisor at the Holmes County Health Department, spoke about local health districts’ efforts to protect water quality. He explained the design process for new septic systems, along with permitting, maintenance, and inspections. Next, he spoke about private water systems. Last, Colton explained what is next for Holmes County. In the future, the Holmes Health Department hopes to integrate their sewage treatment record into the County GIS website. They estimate that 10,000 paper record files of septic systems will become accessible on the website.

Pat Donaldson, Director of Environmental Health at the Ashland County Health Department, led a discussion and answered a wide range of questions from Ashland and Holmes County residents. She also shared numerous experiences from her many years in Public Health.

Heather Doherty, Central Regional Scenic Rivers Manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, spoke about Ohio’s 15 Scenic Rivers andthe Stream Quality Monitoring program conducted by the Scenic Rivers. She explained how macroinvertebrates can determine the quality of the river, using sensitivity rating scores. Some bugs are sensitive to pollutants, while others are very tolerant. The Department of Natural Resources has developed a scoresheet for each species of macroinvertebrate that allows volunteers to asses water quality and report their findings back to the Scenic Rivers. Heather wrapped up her presentation by speaking about the Big River Survey and possible solutions for water quality impairments in the Mohican River.

After hearing from the guest speakers, attendees participated in hands-on water quality sampling at the Wolf Creek Grist Mill. Heather, along with additional ODNR staff, collected macroinvertebrate samples and assessed the quality of the stream. Residents learned how to determine the species of different stream creatures, like macroinvertebrates and minnows.

For more information on Ashland SWCD Conservation Chats, visit ashlandswcd.com or call 419-281-7645.