Faqs

If you have any questions that are not addressed below, please call 513-722-1682 or stop by our office at
Western Water Company, 1775 St. Rt. 28, Goshen, Ohio 45122.

Click on link below for answers to our most frequently asked questions.

• How do I transfer or terminate my service?
  

  Western Water Company Rules Section IX states Change of Occupancy and Termination of Service
  
  A. Not less than (1) week's notice must be given in writing, to the Company, to discontinue service or to change occupancy or ownership.
  B. The outgoing member shall be responsible for all charges up to the time specified in the written notice to discontinue service.

• How do I check for a water leak?
  

  Do not turn valve off in meter box First walk out to your meter, remove the lid and write down the current meter reading. Do not use any water in your home for three (3) to four (4) hours. After the specified amount of time has lapsed, remove the lid and write down the current reading. If the meter reading has changed the leak would be between the meter and the house. Locate your shut off valve inside your home and shut water off. If the reading has not changed open the shut off valve inside your home and repeat the same steps above to see if the leak is inside. After opening the shut off valve inside, if the meter reading changes the leak would be inside your home.
  
  If the reading has not changed, you do not have a leak. Subtract the first reading from the last and this will inform you how much water you lost during the test.
  
  A small leak may take longer to significantly show a difference on your meter. If you are not convinced with the 3 to 4 hour tests, choose a day when no one will be at home for 10 to 12 hours. Even the smallest drip should show up during this time. If you determine a leak is present the next step is to find the location of the leak. First, look for a wet spot on the ground between the meter and your home.
  
  If no leaks were found, a thorough inspection of your pipes, lines, connections and valves under your home or in your basement, would be the next step.
  
  Your hot water tank could have a hole rusted in the bottom or the drain valve may be leaking. An inspection should also be made of your toilet tanks. Water can leak out by flowing over and down the overflow pipe without the tank making any noise to alert you to the problem. The toilet does not have to be running (filling back up) for this to happen. It can continue to overflow after the toilet noise has cut off. Sometimes the rubber stopper or plunger in the bottom of the tank will not seat or close properly causing the continual overflow and loss of water also inspect the chain that connects the handle lever and the rubber plunger. It may become entangled also causing the same problem. The round bobber-like float may also need bending down to shut the water off earlier before it runs over the overflow pipe. Again, there may be no audible sounds that will alert you to any of these problems in your toilet tank. Frequent inspections are recommended to avoid problems.
  
  By following these simple steps, you should be successful in finding accurate results that could save you money.
  
  A leak through the following diameter hole at 60 psi will result in this much wasted water per quarter.
  
  

  1/4 inch = 1,181,500 gallons

  1/8 inch = 296,000 gallons

  1/16 inch = 74,000 gallons

  1/32 inch = 18,500 gallons

• Is my drinking water safe?
  

  Water quality is the first priority at Western Water Company. Constant testing by the dedicated staff of certified operators and laboratory personnel ensure the highest standards for drinking water quality are being met at all times. The test results for 2003 show Western Water Company’s water to be of the highest quality. If you have any questions about water quality, please contact Jim Swearingen at the Water Treatment Plant, weekdays at (513)899-3211 between 8:00a.m. And 5:00p.m.

• What is the source of my water?
  

  Western Water Company’s water comes from an aquifer along the Little Miami River in Warren County. Western Water also purchases water from other water systems and then distributes the various supplies to their customers.
  
  

  Systems	Percent	Source
  Western Water Company	56%	Little Miami River Aquifer / Warren County
  Brown County Rural	5%	Ohio River Aquifer / Brown County
  Cincinnati Water Works	39%	Ohio River and Great Miami Aquifer

• Why are there contaminates in my water?
  

  Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)426-4791.

• What are sources of contamination to drinking water?
  

  The sources of drinking water both tap and bottled water includes rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surfaces of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and in some cases radioactive materials.The water can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
  
  Contaminants that may be present in source water include: (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife; (B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm runoff and residential uses; (D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems; (E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
  
  In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

• What is the susceptibility analysis?
  

  The aquifer that supplies drinking water to Western Water Company has a high susceptibility to contamination, as indicated by the presence of nitrates in the treated water in 1994 and 1996. The high susceptibility is due to the sensitive nature of the aquifer in which the drinking water wells are located. These wells are near existing potential contaminant sources which have been identified. Further nitrate testing since 1996 has indicated very low levels of nitrates in the finished water. These results are listed in this report and previous Consumer Confidence Reports, you the customer have received over the past few years. Although the aquifer is susceptible to contamination, our testing indicates nitrates are at very low levels in the finished water.

• Do I need to take special precautions?
  

  Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemo therapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)426-4791.

• Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations?
  

  The Ohio EPA require us to test our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. Western Water Company had no violations to report for the 2003 sampling.

• What is turbidity?
  

  Western Water Company purchases water from other water systems as explained in the source water section. Two of these are required to monitor for turbidity so we are required to show these results on our report. Turbidity does not present any risk to your health. They monitor turbidity, which is a measure of cloudiness of water, because it is a good indicator that filtration systems are functioning properly.

• Water Quality Data Report
  

  Listed below is the water quality data report from Western Water. Click on link to read report in PDF format.
  
  Western Water Company Water Report 1(PDF)
  Western Water Company Water Report 2 (PDF)
  Western Water Company Water Report 3 (PDF)

• What are the Water Rates?
  

  Water Rates for all Users
  Each user shall pay a minimum charge for each meter, based on the size of the meter purchased, regardless of actual usage. The user will be entitled to the quantity of water set opposite the meter size for the minimum charge.
  
  

  Meter Size	Code Number	Number of Gallons	Monthly Minimum Bill
  5/8"	01	2,000	$16.00
  3/4"	02	3,000	$24.00
  1"	03	4,000	$32.00
  1-1/2"	05	20,000	$160.00
  2"	06	40,000	$314.00

  
  All water user in excess of the above minimums shall be charged at the rate of $6.00 per thousand gallons.
  
  Membership fee: $60.00

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