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GALION — The Galion Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Laboratory has been warned that the state may deny, suspend, or revoke its laboratory certifications if it fails to address a series of safety and documentation violations.
Following an October 16, 2025, survey by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), officials notified the city that the laboratory has been operating in violation of state law. The EPA issuing a letter dated January 12, 2026.
To retain the ability to legally test the area’s drinking water, the facility must provide proof that every deficiency has been corrected and that analysts have been retrained. Marion Watch Investigates has reviewed the formal Notice of Violation (NOV), which details “significant discrepancies” in how the city monitors water safety. However, for many local residents, these findings are a familiar chapter in a saga of non-compliance spanning many years.
A History of Non-Compliance: Has Galion Ever Been Compliant?
When evaluating Galion’s safety record, the official data suggests a pattern of struggle rather than consistency. Since the 1980s, the city has repeatedly navigated “unacceptable” levels of contamination, ranging from industrial heavy metals to chemical disinfection byproducts.
1. The Heavy Metal Era (1980s)
In the mid-1980s, Ohio EPA records documented high concentrations of zinc and cadmium in local runoff near industrial sites like ASARCO.
- The Hazard: Runoff from waste slag was historically recorded as high as 46 mg/L for zinc.
- The Danger: Cadmium is a known carcinogen that causes severe kidney damage and bone fragility.
2. The Lead and Infrastructure Gap (1990s–2026)
Following the federal 1991 Lead and Copper Rule, Galion’s aging distribution system faced scrutiny for lead leaching.
- The Hazard: Lead enters water through corroding lead service lines.
- The Danger: Lead is a potent neurotoxin. In children, it causes permanent IQ loss; in adults, it leads to kidney damage.
- Current Status: In July 2024, the city joined the EPA’s “Get the Lead Out” initiative. While the city claims to be in “good standing,” it is currently under a mandate to map all lead pipes—a process that relies heavily on the same laboratory and data management systems recently flagged for “discrepancies.”
3. The Disinfection Dilemma (2010s–Present)
The most persistent potential modern threat has been Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM). The legal limit is 0.080 mg/L.
- 2016 Violation: The city’s average hit 0.0809 mg/L.
- 2022-2023 Spikes: Data revealed levels as high as 0.087 mg/L.
- The Danger: TTHMs are carcinogenic byproducts of chlorine. Long-term consumption is linked to bladder, colon, and rectal cancers.
Data Summary: Contamination & Risk Factors (1980-2026)
- Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM):
- Legal Limit: 0.080 mg/L (Locational Running Annual Average).
- Galion Peak: 0.087 mg/L (Recorded at site DS202).
- Primary Risk: Long-term exposure is linked to bladder, kidney, and colorectal cancers.
- Coliform Bacteria:
- Legal Limit: 0 Positive Samples.
- Recent Status: 1 Positive Result (Oct 2025) which was not followed by required corrective action.
- Primary Risk: Indicator of fecal contamination and potential presence of pathogens like E. coli.
- Lead Service Lines:
- Current Mandate: 100% Identification by 2024/2025 deadlines.
- Status: “Get the Lead Out” technical assistance in progress; city survey launched to identify home service materials.
- Primary Risk: Developmental delays and neurotoxicity in infants and children.
- Cadmium & Zinc (Historical):
- Historical Spike: Up to 46 mg/L Zinc in industrial runoff (1980s).
- Primary Risk: Severe kidney damage (cadmium) and environmental toxicity.
Investigating the “Analyst Error”: Certification Standards
The Ohio EPA’s demand for the “retraining” of analysts raises critical questions about whether the staff was legally qualified to perform these tests. Under Ohio Administrative Code 3745-89-03, lab analysts must pass annual proficiency tests and maintain certification for every analyte they report.
The 2025 survey’s finding that materials were sterilized for only 12 minutes (instead of 30) suggests a fundamental failure in basic certification protocol.
Citizen Input: Allegations of a Managed Cover-Up
Local citizen reports suggest that missing data is part of a “cherry-picking” strategy used when water samples could not meet legal requirements. Citizens allege that some city officials have played a central role in hiding these failures and instructing staff to remain quiet. Communications seen by Marion Watch show that a former superintendent warned Ohio EPA official Ralph Baker about these problems years ago, suggesting the state may have been aware long before this latest survey.
Marion Watch is still looking into these allegations and will report more in-depth at a later time, and will continue to monitor Galion’s Water situation.
Works Cited (Click Here)
- Ohio EPA Director’s Final Findings and Orders (Aug 31, 2023): Mandating infrastructure repairs for TTHM. Source
- City of Galion Official Notice (Jan 8, 2026): “City Responds to Social Media Posts Regarding Water Distribution System.” Source
- Ohio EPA Notice of Violation (Sept 3, 2025): Failure to report water quality parameters for the Jan–June 2025 period. Source
- Crawford County Cancer Profile 2025: Highlighting elevated mortality rates compared to Ohio averages. Source
- EPA Partnership Announcement (July 2024): “Get the Lead Out Initiative” in Galion. Source
- EPA LETTER January, 12, 2026 Cited Inline