Written by Aqua Ohio has officially issued a “Consumer Notice of Potential Lead” to Marion residents, attributing the warning to a recent water main break. However, a timeline of independent testing and a massive surge in resident complaints suggest the contamination is not a localized accident, but the result of a chemical destabilization that began weeks—if not months—ago.
Timeline Discrepancy: January 12 vs. January 29
In a letter dated January 29, 2026, Aqua Ohio informed residents of potential lead exposure, explicitly stating the advisory was triggered by a specific water main break and assuring customers that “no action is needed.”
This explanation flatly contradicts independent lab data obtained by Marion Watch. Testing analyzed by Pure H2O of Ohio detected lead on Sargent Street on January 12—over two weeks before the main break Aqua cites as the cause.
Furthermore, Sargent Street is located in a different section of the city than the reported infrastructure failure, indicating that the lead presence is widespread rather than localized.
A Surge of 500+ Complaints
The technical data confirms what residents have been physically sensing. Since last week alone, Marion Watch has reviewed approximately 500 direct messages and hundreds of public complaints in social media comments and other communication from citizens reporting issues with the smell, taste, and “feel” of their water.
These reports—describing water that smells like chemicals or smells earthy and feels “slick” or “slimy” causing skin irritation—mirror the initial wave of issues that began in December 2025. At that time, Aqua admitted to adjusting their treatment process to combat an earthy odor supposedly caused by Geosmin. It now appears that this “fix” may have been the catalyst for the current crisis.
The “Fix” That Broke the System
Marion Watch and other advocates and activists as well as water industry professionals previously warned that the rushed alteration of treatment chemicals in December could destabilize the corrosion inhibitors protecting the city’s aging pipes.
The data now supports this theory. The independent lab report shows a water pH spike to 8.72. Experts warn that this specific chemical environment can strip the protective coating inside pipes, accelerating the leaching of lead and copper into the water supply. By prioritizing a cosmetic fix for the smell, the treatment change could have disturbed the lead infrastructure city-wide.
Paying More for “Safe” Deception
The confirmation of lead contamination comes at a volatile moment for Marion residents, who are currently fighting a hefty rate increase proposed by Aqua Ohio.
Residents are essentially being asked to pay a premium for water that independent experts have now deemed questionable to consume over long periods of time without heavy-duty filtration.
Expert Verdict: Filter Immediately
Despite Aqua’s assurance that “no action is needed,” the independent company Pure H2O has privately issued a blunt warning to community organizers: “Filter your water.” They noted that the problem appears to be “at a larger scale” than Aqua has disclosed.
With sodium levels also spiking to 70.8 mg/L—a danger to those with high blood pressure—and widespread reports of pets becoming ill after drinking from the tap, Marion Watch advises all households to immediately use high-quality filtration systems until more data can be obtained.
