COLUMBUS — A Harrison County judge issued a temporary restraining order against the village of Harrisville on May 28 to force it to address wastewater treatment system issues that resulted in raw sewage spilling into a local stream.
Harrisville has failed to maintain its wastewater treatment plant for roughly five months, leading to untreated sewage bypassing the system and flowing into Sloan Run, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The waste is also overflowing and traveling down a hillside adjacent to a baseball field. No one has been overseeing the treatment plant since March 8, according to the attorney general’s office.
The Ohio EPA documented multiple alleged violations at the site, including:
- A manhole at the wastewater treatment plant actively overflowing and bypassing the plant.
- Additional untreated sewage outside the plant.
- Evidence of sewage fungus and algae growth in the creek.
- Sewage visible in the outfall pipe.
- Strong foul odors along the creek bed.
The complaint and emergency motion, filed last week in Harrison County Common Pleas Court, seeks to force the village to take immediate corrective action, including securing a qualified operator for the facility. A hearing is set for June 9. A village official told the Ohio attorney general’s office that village council has resigned and the mayor lives outside of village limits, which has complicated efforts to enforce emergency wastewater repairs. Harrisville has roughly 259 residents and about 90 homes.
I would hope that there is some outside funding available for this tiny community. Just the cost of a certified operator would tag at around $500 per home, not counting necessary repairs. My guess is that is why the local gov’t bailed out. A difficult, but necessary situation.