Aquifer Water Options Explored

May 15, 2018 Council Meeting

As many of you are likely aware, the Village of Whitehouse is engaged in ongoing discussions with the City of Toledo and its contract communities regarding the potential creation of a regional water district.  This collective group is called the Toledo Area Water Authority (TAWA).   While many know about this effort, the Village also wants you to know that we have been actively looking into alternate water solutions for the last several years.  Specifically, we have looked into all available water purchasing options with surrounding municipalities.  While some of those options remain open, there is another option that we have examined that appears to be a strong candidate–ground water.

 Artesian of Pioneer (AOP) is a 50-year old company that has supplied hundreds of municipalities with high quality, cost effective water treatment and distribution solutions.  In our discussions with AOP, we understand that an enormous ground water source exists just west of us in what is called the Michindoh Aquifer.  This aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for portions of nine counties spreading across Michigan, Indiana, and Northwest Ohio.  Aquifers are a great option for municipal water systems in part due to the low cost of treatment stemming from the safe, naturally purified water.  With respect to concerns about enough supply, it is my understanding that the Michindoh Aquifer is an “underground Lake Erie.”  The best example of a large municipal water system that draws from an aquifer is the City of Dayton.  Dayton, along with Montgomery and Green Counties, have provided water to their communities via ground water wells installed in an annually replenished aquifer.  In 2016, for example, the Dayton group provided over 23 billion (that’s 23,000,000,000) gallons of water to their customers supplying water to over 1.5 million people.  In addition to the consideration of cost and volume, the ground water, as supplied by the Michindoh Aquifer, shows significant evidence of producing naturally clean and safe water.  In fact, the 2017 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting award winner was Montpelier, Ohio.  Montpelier’s water source is the same Michindoh Aquifer we are considering.

 At the May 15, 2018 Council meeting, the president of AOP, Mr. Edward A. Kidston, will give a presentation to Council on this topic. Council will then be asked to consider next steps in further examining this option.  You are certainly invited to come. 

Regional Water Solution

January 31, 2018 at 10 a.m., the Village of Whitehouse together with the City of Toledo and other suburban communities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form the Toledo Area Water Authority (TAWA).  Now that the Memorandum of Understanding is signed, the decision is in Council’s hands.

For more information about TAWA, visit www.toledowater.org.