Ohio village's discolored tap water draws EPA violations after a year of boil advisories

In Cadiz, Ohio, concerns about tap water have persisted since summer 2025. Residents have dealt with water that can appear cloudy, yellow, or orange, and repeated boil advisories have led many households to rely on bottled water.

Here's what to know

According to Ideastream Public Media, after reviewing the Cadiz Village Public Water System, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency cited it for several violations, including sludge left in the system and missing operational data. The agency said that sludge buildup can limit the system's ability to remove sediment from drinking water, and that could be part of the issue causing poor water quality in the town.

In its Notice of Violation to Cadiz Mayor Kevin Jones, the agency said water samples collected exceeded the turbidity levels allowed under state law. On July 1, 2026, one reading exceeded the state threshold by more than sevenfold.

Cadiz resident Andrea Tomer-Lewis said the ongoing problems have left people uneasy about what is coming from their taps. "We've been under several boil orders," she told Ideastream. "We've been told to boil our water and a lot of us have a hesitancy to drink the water because of the discoloration in it."

The village issued its first boil water advisory in summer 2025, and residents have since relied on bottled water distributed by the village on and off.

More background

Tomer-Lewis also questioned why residents are still paying high water bills while confidence in the supply remains so low. Referring to a monthly charge of $159, she said, "Considering it's just me and my husband that live here, we have two dogs and two cats, that seems kind of excessive to me." She said she has also seen cloudy, turbid water at her workplace, while other residents have reported yellow- or orange-tinged water from their taps.

Manganese has also been a source of concern after the village detected elevated levels in the water supply.

The Ohio Department of Health says manganese is safe in small amounts and necessary for the human body, but a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report says high exposure can impair brain and nervous system development in children, Ideastream reported.

What's being done?

According to the outlet, at a July 2026 town hall, the Ohio EPA presented three possible paths for Cadiz. One option is to build a new facility, which the agency estimated would cost about $20 million and take several years. Another is to repair the current facility, though regulators said that approach would also likely take a long time and cost millions of dollars.

A third option is to connect Cadiz to another water system, such as Tri-County Rural Water in nearby Washington County. Amy Klei, chief of the Ohio EPA division of drinking and ground waters, said that choice is becoming more common as older systems reach the end of their useful life.

"These plants are 50, 60, 70 years old," Klei said, per Ideastream. "These plants have a lifespan and a lot of them are reaching it. We've had a lot of deferred maintenance. A lot of bills are coming due and it's a tough decision for communities like Cadiz right now."

Village leaders must now decide how to proceed.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.