A new state environmental filing has confirmed that Galion’s wastewater system is not being overwhelmed by random storms or isolated weather events. It is failing because the system has been structurally weakened for years.
The latest Ohio EPA Non-compliance Notification, filed on June 10, 2026, by Wastewater Superintendent Renee Bodkins, shows that the Galion Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) exceeded its legal chemical discharge limits throughout the month of May. This comes only weeks after Bodkins was required to report a major hydraulic overload that pushed the plant far beyond its design capacity.

The new filing documents that the plant discharged more Nitrogen Ammonia and more Total Phosphorus than the city’s permit allows. These are violations of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that governs how much pollution the city is allowed to release into the watershed. The exceedances were caused by two long wet-weather events that overwhelmed the plant for 17 hours and 29 hours.

This filing provides more evidence yet that Galion does not simply struggle during storms. It collapses. And it collapses because of long-standing internal failures that have gone unaddressed for years.

THE HYDRAULIC CRUSH

Before the chemical exceedance report was filed, Superintendent Bodkins had already submitted a separate notification documenting a massive hydraulic surge. The plant is designed for an average of 2.7 million gallons per day (MGD). It has an absolute peak limit of 8.5 MGD.

During the recent storms, the incoming flow shot toward 17 MGD, a crisis that was explicitly mentioned at a recent city council meeting. That level of water completely overwhelms the plant and forces emergency bypasses inside the facility.

THE CHEMICAL BLEED: RELEASING PARTIALLY TREATED SEWAGE

Because the plant was completely choked by that stormwater surge, it lost its capacity to properly treat the raw sewage entering the system. The June 10 filing shows exactly how far the city exceeded its 30-day quantity averages:

• Nitrogen Ammonia: Permitted at 8.2 kg/day, but the plant discharged 13.8 kg/day.
  
• Total Phosphorus: Capped at 10.3 kg/day, but the plant discharged 10.8 kg/day.
  
• Superintendent Bodkins attributed the exceedances to two long-duration rain events that pushed the plant into overload conditions for nearly two full days combined.

When stormwater inundates Galion’s underground collection system, the volume of water quickly surpasses the plant’s secondary treatment capacity. To prevent a catastrophic structural washout of the facility, internal routing mechanisms are triggered. Millions of gallons of wastewater are automatically diverted around the core secondary biological treatment infrastructure—the activated sludge system and secondary clarifiers.

Instead, partially treated sewage is bypassed directly into backup tertiary lagoons and the chlorine contact tank before being released into the Olentangy River. Because this water never undergoes full secondary biological processing, the raw, heavy chemical elements are never broken down. They flow directly through the outfall pipes into the river.

Toxic Runoff: Every Time it Rains, Galion’s Broken Plant Bleeds

A true watchman on the wall doesn’t just sound the alarm; they bring the receipts. Local whistleblowers have warned that the Galion Wastewater Treatment Plant is being run into the ground by …

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THE TRUE COST OF THE BLEED: DANGERS TO WILDLIFE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

These chemical overages are not harmless figures on a state spreadsheet. They represent a direct, physical threat to the local environment and downstream public health.

When high levels of un-ionized Nitrogen Ammonia are dumped into a moving waterway like the Olentangy River, it acts as an immediate toxin to aquatic life. Ammonia enters the tissues of fish and invertebrates directly through their gills, disrupting their internal equilibrium and attacking their central nervous system. Furthermore, as natural bacteria in the river work to break down this excess ammonia, they consume massive amounts of dissolved oxygen, creating localized “dead zones” where aquatic species literally suffocate.

Total Phosphorus, on the other hand, acts as a potent, unmitigated fertilizer. When excess phosphorus bleeds into the river, it triggers an explosion of rapid algae growth, resulting in Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). As these massive algal mats die and decompose, they suck the remaining oxygen out of the water, causing catastrophic fish kills.

More alarmingly, the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) fueled by this phosphorus can produce dangerous cyanotoxins. If residents wade, kayak, or swim in water contaminated by these blooms, contact can cause severe skin rashes, respiratory distress, and gastrointestinal illness. If ingested by pets or livestock utilizing the watershed, these toxins can cause acute liver failure and sudden death.

Downstream municipalities relying on the watershed for public drinking water are also forced to use heavy chlorination to treat these organic loads, which can inadvertently create carcinogenic disinfection byproducts like Trihalomethanes (THMs).

THE ROOT CAUSES RUN MUCH DEEPER

The state filings show the symptoms. The underlying causes are far more serious. Over the past several years, former employees, public comments, and internal accounts have described a pattern of operational failures, neglected maintenance, and questionable practices that have weakened the system from the inside out.

• THE DIGESTER CRISIS: It has been reported that one of the city’s two wastewater digesters is completely out of service and may be beyond repair due to severe loading damage. Digesters are the backbone of solids handling. When they fail, the entire treatment process becomes unstable. If heavy water plant sludge was routed into the sanitary system for years, it would explain the long-term damage now visible in the digesters.
  
• LIME AND FERRIC DUMPING: Multiple former employees have publicly stated that large amounts of lime and ferric chloride were dumped directly into the wastewater plant’s inlet structure. Wastewater entering the plant should be gray in color. Instead, photos show bright white lime and dark brown ferric material flowing through the inlet channel. Lime and ferric chloride can be helpful in small, controlled doses. But when dumped in large quantities, they can damage pumps, coat internal piping, and interfere with the biological treatment process. Former staff have stated that pumps which looked new on the outside were eaten away internally because of chemical overloading.
  
• THE DRYING BEDS AND THE SALT BIN: The water treatment plant’s drying beds were supposed to be used for handling sludge. Instead, they were left non-functional. A second building originally constructed for additional drying capacity was allegedly converted into a salt storage bin. Because the city did not have enough staff to haul sludge away, supervisors allegedly instructed workers to send the water plant sludge down the sanitary sewer to the wastewater plant. This sludge contained heavy lime, which built up in the system and contributed to the failure of the anaerobic digesters.
  
• STORMWATER CROSS-CONNECTIONS: Former staff have also described a storm inlet at the water plant that is directly tied into the sanitary system. This means that during storms, rainwater bypasses the storm system entirely and flows straight into the sanitary sewer. That water then rushes into the wastewater plant, adding to the hydraulic overload. This is the same type of illegal cross-connection the city warns residents not to have on their own properties, but according to former city employees and citizens, the city is the primary violator of this and other serious issues.
  
• A PATTERN OF IGNORED WARNINGS: Former employees, including Patrick Hickman, have stated publicly that they warned the Service Director and city leadership about these problems early in their employment. They also noted that many previous superintendents left within short periods of time, suggesting a pattern of internal conflict or unresolved operational issues. These warnings reportedly went unaddressed, contributing to the current state of decline.
  
• THE TAYLOR ROAD WASTE PILES: There are also public claims that large mounds of lime and ferric waste have been stockpiled at the Taylor Road site. The composting area is located straight back, while the chemical waste piles are to the right as you enter. These piles raise questions about environmental handling, storage practices, and long-term disposal planning.
  
• THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND VALVE TURNING CRISIS: Separate from the treatment plant failures, there are major concerns about the city’s water distribution system. It has been publicly stated that the city claims to maintain a valve-turning program, but does not have the personnel required to meet American Water Works Association (AWWA) standards. Critical valves are supposed to be turned annually and non-critical valves every three years. Without this maintenance, the city cannot reliably isolate water lines during breaks or emergencies. Residents have also raised questions about unaccounted-for water loss, the age of the city’s meters, and the lack of a recent system-wide meter replacement program. These issues directly affect billing accuracy, leak detection, and long-term financial stability.
  
• THE FORTY MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: Engineering estimates have circulated suggesting that it may cost around forty million dollars to fully replace Galion’s aging water, wastewater, and storm systems. It is important to note that this is a replacement of existing infrastructure, not an upgraged system.
  
• PLANT SAFETY AND STAFFING: There are also concerns about plant safety protocols, including whether any safety switches or interlocks have been bypassed on high-voltage equipment. Staffing levels at both plants have been questioned, with some stating that the departments do not meet the requirements outlined in their original Operation and Maintenance manuals.
  
• FINANCIAL PRACTICES AND ANNEXATION EXCEPTIONS: Residents have also raised questions about whether water or sewer funds have been transferred into non-utility accounts over the past decade. Others have asked whether the city’s tap fees accurately reflect the true cost of installation, as required by Ohio law. There are also concerns about the city providing utility services to properties outside city limits without requiring annexation. Residents want to know under what authority these exceptions were granted and whether they comply with state law.
  

MARION WATCH WILL BE FILING A FORMAL PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST

In light of the growing number of documented failures, Marion Watch will be submitting a comprehensive public records request to verify the operational, financial, and regulatory history behind these issues.

The request will formally seek records related to:

• The operational status and maintenance history of the wastewater digesters.
  
• Any directives or logs involving the dumping of water plant sludge, lime, or ferric into the sanitary system.
  
• The condition and use of the water plant drying beds and the building converted into a salt bin.
  
• A complete and current copy of the Galion City employee handbook alongside all updates, addenda, or disciplinary policy modifications issued between 2014 and 2026.
  
• All bypass events and the status of the No Feasible Alternatives (NFA) analysis required by the Ohio EPA.
  
• Tracking of the $47,990 civil penalty currently held in abeyance.
  
• Valve-turning logs and compliance with American Water Works Association standards.
  
• Water loss reports, meter age data, and meter replacement schedules.
  
• Engineering estimates for the alleged $40 million infrastructure replacement projection (not upgrades).
  
• Safety inspection records involving bypassed switches or disabled interlocks.
  
• Staffing rosters compared to the requirements in the Operation and Maintenance manuals.
  
• Financial transfers involving water or sewer funds. Tap fee cost recovery calculations. Records authorizing utility service to non-annexed properties.
  
• These records will help determine whether the city followed required procedures, whether warnings were ignored, and whether the public was given accurate information about the condition of its utility systems.
  

THE BIG PICTURE

When all of this is combined with the official Ohio EPA non-compliance notifications, a clear pattern emerges.

The city is not simply dealing with bad weather. It is dealing with years of internal warnings, chemical mismanagement, staffing shortages, cross-connections, deferred maintenance, and financial decisions that have weakened the system from the inside out.

ADMINISTRATIVE PARALYSIS MEETS AN EPA DEADLINE

When the state required the city to explain what steps were being taken to prevent future violations, the superintendent’s report offered a short, general statement: “The city is currently evaluating the collection system and plant for feasible options to handle wet-weather flows.”

Behind that brief statement is a serious legal deadline. Under the Ohio EPA Director’s Final Findings and Orders issued in late 2025, the city must complete a No Feasible Alternatives (NFA) analysis and meet a series of strict infrastructure deadlines.

If the city fails to deliver the finalized NFA by the state-mandated June 14, 2027 deadline, a civil penalty of $47,990 currently held in abeyance will be immediately enforced. Specifically, $27,990 becomes due immediately for a missing or late NFA report, and an additional $20,000 will hit local taxpayers if the administration fails to hit subsequent collection system construction schedules.

For years, city officials have told residents that the utility systems were stable and compliant. But the state’s own documents continue to show a completely different picture.

Between a 17-million-gallon hydraulic surge and back-to-back chemical exceedances, the pattern is undeniable. Galion is not dealing with isolated weather events; it is dealing with decades of deferred maintenance and administrative inaction that have left the system physically unable to protect the community’s environmental health during storms.