A year into boil advisories, residents in Cadiz want clean water and answers

Today from the Ohio Newsroom, the rural residents boiling their water. Support comes from Ohio Casa. Ohio Casa's mission is to ensure children experiencing abuse and neglect have a caring, trained adult in their corner. Information about CASA volunteer work is at Ohio's C-A-S-A.org. Today from the Ohio Newsroom takes you around the state, connecting you with news and neighbors from all over Ohio. I'm Erin Gotzacker. Access to safe drinking water is an expectation for most Ohioans. But residents of the small village of Caddice in eastern Ohio have been dealing with discolored and foul-smelling water for more than a year. Last week, the Ohio EPA found several violations at the local water treatment plant, leaving residents with more questions than they had before. The Ohio Newsroom's Caitlin Thorn reports. When residents and cadets turn on their tap, The water that comes out isn't always clear. Under several boil orders, we've been told to boil our water, and a lot of us have hesitancy to drink the water because there has been some discoloration in it. That's Andrea Tomer Lewis, who lives in Cadet's with her husband. She hasn't noticed discolored water at her home, but she has noticed cloudy, turbid water at her workplace. And she's heard reports from other residents of orange or yellow-tinged tap water. They've all been drinking bottled water instead. The village has been providing it on and off since it first declared a boil water advisory in the summer of 2025. Now, a year later, it doesn't appear that a solution is near at hand. Last week, the Ohio EPA found several violations with the Cadet's village public water system, including sludge that had not been removed from the system. Regulators say that this prevents the sediment basin from operating properly. Previously, the village also found a spike in manganese in the water supply. The Ohio Department of Health says this mineral is safe and a small amount is necessary for the human body to function. But some residents are still worried. A report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that high exposure to manganese could hinder brain and nervous system development in young children. At a town hall meeting in July, the Ohio EPA laid out recommendations for three plans to address the issues. The village could build a new facility or fix the issues at the current facility, but the state agency estimates that both of those solutions would cost millions. The third and cheapest option? The village could connect to another water system like Tri-County Rural Water in nearby Washington County. Amy Kly is the Ohio EPA Division Chief of Drinking in Groundwaters.

She says connecting to another source is becoming more common in the state, as aging water infrastructure is costly to repair. Plants are 50, 60, you know, 70 years old. And these plants have a lifespan. A lot of them are reaching it. And we've had a lot of deferred maintenance. A lot of the bills are come and do. So it's a lot of tough decisions for communities like Katas right now. The boil order in Cadets was lifted three days after the town hall meeting. Just a week later, a new one was issued. It was later lifted too, but the frequency of the orders has left people like Andrea Tomer Lewis wondering why they are paying for water they can't use. This was my water bill for this month. I want you to pay attention to that amount right here. It's $159 for the month of June. And considering that... It's just my husband and I that live here. We have two dogs and two cats. That seems kind of excessive to me. Tomor Lewis did say that her home had recently had a leak, but still, she and some of her neighbors think the cost is too high. What happens next is up to cadets. The APA's plans are only suggestions, so the village must decide how to resolve the ongoing issues and answer for the EPA violations. The village administrator, mayor, and the water treatment plant did not respond to a request for comment. In Harrison County, I'm Caitlin Thorne. Support comes from the James at Ohio State, cancer. For some, it's one of life's fiercest foes, but not at the James, where a team of nearly 300 specialists and over 1,500 researchers are working together to create a cancer-free world. That's all today from the Ohio Newsroom. We'll talk with you tomorrow.