Great Miami Drinking Water Protection Project
The village of 2,500 is flanked by the Great Miami River and straddles the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer System. The aquifer is the drinking water source for seven public water systems that serve more than 300,000 people. New Miami flourished for decades as the home to an ARMCO Coke Plant. Factory jobs and supporting businesses made the village a place where people could make a decent living. Now, more than 20 years after ARMCO began closing the plant, New Miami is struggling to energize its economy without ignoring the pollution left behind.
The resulting Drinking Water Protection Plan prepared by OKI and local project partners won the 2009 American Planning Association’s (APA) National Planning Achievement Award for a Hard-Won Victory.“ The award is deemed the best among planning professionals,” said APA spokeswoman Roberta Rewers. “Water supply and safety are issues that a lot of communities are dealing with. This project will be held as a pinnacle so that other communities can see how they addressed this issue.”
Drinking water supplies cross many political boundaries in Butler County, creating the need for intergovernmental collaboration. This prompted OKI to recruit nine project partners to work on drinking water protection issues, including New Miami’s plan, using grant funding secured under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
What do you do when a local government divides into factions in the middle of a project? New Miami experienced a painful transition that invited state intervention. As local elected officials quarreled and quit, OKI was left to wonder whether the village council could focus on drinking water.
Project kinks started to loosen in 2008. In January, a new council majority dismissed the Village’s embattled fiscal officer. In February, the Ohio EPA endorsed the Drinking Water Protection Plan for the Village of New Miami. In April the local grant partners came to agreement on legislation and in May the village council passed a drinking water protection ordinance.
Looking ahead, OKI believes the project’s continuing success depends on implementation of the plan and enforcement of the ordinance. Looking back, OKI acknowledges Ohio EPA for funding the project and providing guidance at key junctures. The project thrived on the assistance of these local partners: Village of New Miami Hamilton to New Baltimore Ground Water Consortium Miami Conservancy District Butler County Storm Water District Butler Soil and Water Conservation District Miami University’s Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs Three Valley Conservation Trust Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District Dr. Michael C. Miller of the University of Cincinnati |
