Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 4901:1-15-20 | Quality and adequacy of service.

                                                
(A) Each waterworks company and/or sewage disposal system company
		  shall provide service to the public in its service territory twenty-four hours
		  per day, every day, except as provided for elsewhere in this
		  chapter.
(B) Each waterworks company and/or sewage disposal system company
		  shall:
(1) Comply with its tariff(s) which shall be
			 approved by and on file with the commission.
(2) Place the responsibility for the technical
			 operation and maintenance of the system(s) under the charge of an
			 "operator of record" who holds a certificate of a level at least
			 equal to that of the classification of the waterworks system and/or sewage
			 disposal system as designated by the Ohio environmental protection agency, or
			 has obtained authorization from the director of the Ohio environmental
			 protection agency.
(C) Each waterworks company shall:
(1) Furnish potable water that is of a safe and
			 satisfactory quality for all domestic use and that is in compliance with
			 federal and state requirements for drinking water.
(2) Ensure that each service connection shall
			 have a curb stop or other means of isolating the service connection and that
			 each customer can be disconnected without affecting another
			 customer.
(3) Maintain a minimum static pressure delivered
			 to the curb stop during normal operating conditions of thirty-five pounds per
			 square inch.
(4)  Not allow pressure to exceed one hundred
			 twenty-five pounds per square inch at the curb stop.
(5) Minimize water loss in the water system
			 distribution system by operating a water loss control program meeting the
			 minimum criteria outlined herein. 
(a) For water systems that
				have less than three thousand total active and inactive service connections,
				the water company shall: 
(i) Calculate and determine water loss volume in
				  gallons per service connection per day per system average operating pressure
				  (gals/connection/day/psi) based on a rolling twelve month average in each of
				  its system(s) and report on the quarterly report.
(ii) Establish a target water loss volume (TWLV)
				  in gallons per service connection per day per system operating pressure
				  (gals/connection/day/psi) for each of its system(s) based on a minimum of
				  twelve months of data. The TWLV shall be reviewed and approved by staff
				  annually.
(iii) Determine the percentage of water loss from
				  the water system based on a rolling twelve month average in each of its
				  system(s) and report on the quarterly report.
(b) The percentage of water
				loss is the water loss volume divided by the total system delivery
				volume.
The water loss volume is the total system
				delivery volume minus metered consumption volume minus non-metered water loss
				volume. Where:
(i) Total system delivery volume (in gallons) of
				  water delivered into the water distribution in gallons.
(ii) Metered consumption volume (in gallons)
				  including both revenue and non-revenue water as measured by a metering
				  device
(iii) Non-metered water loss volume (in gallons)
				  includes water usage for firefighting purposes, flushing, tank draining, street
				  cleaning, sewer flushing, plant usage, and water loss from surfacing water
				  leaks repaired within five days of becoming aware of the water
				  leak.
(c) When the water loss
				percentage is greater than fifteen per cent, the water company
				shall:
(i) Determine the economic level leakage and
				  develop a water loss remedial program based on the economic level leakage to
				  achieve a water loss equal to or less than fifteen per cent or shall justify
				  for staff's approval a more economically realistic goal based on a
				  cost/benefit analysis.
(ii) Determine the economic level leakage and
				  develop a water loss remedial program based on the economic level leakage to
				  achieve a specific water loss volume per connection per day per psi for
				  staff's review and approval.
(d) For water systems with
				more than three thousand total service connections or a service connection of
				more than sixteen service connections per mile of distribution main, the water
				company shall:
(i) Calculate the infrastructure leakage index
				  (ILI) annually using the American water works association's "M36
				  Water Audits and Loss Control Programs" (fourth edition, 2016)
				  software.
(ii) Utilize preliminary target ILI's
				  established by commission staff for each system based on criteria set forth in
				  the American water works association's "M36 Water Audits and Loss
				  Control Programs" (fourth edition, 2016). The preliminary target ILI may
				  be adjusted based on the calculated economic level of leakage when a
				  system's annual ILI exceeds or is equal to the preliminary target ILI.
				  
(iii) Determine the economic level of leakage and
				  develop a water loss remedial program based on the economic level of
				  leakage.
(iv) Not be required to
				  calculate the economic level of leakage when the calculated annual ILI for a
				  system is equal to or less than 3.0.
(e) Water systems shall
				only be required to decrease system water loss to the economic level of
				leakage.
(f) Submit an annual water
				loss control program report documenting the requirements above to the
				commission with supporting documents by March thirty-first of the year
				following the reporting year.
(D) Each sewage disposal system company shall: 
(1) Make all reasonable efforts to design,
			 operate, and maintain its system so as to avoid at all times any blockage in
			 the system.
(2) Make every effort to eliminate infiltration
			 that may allow flows other than wastewater to enter the collection
			 system.
(3) Maintain its system in a safe and sanitary
			 manner.
(E) When a waterworks company and/or sewage disposal system
		  company is not able to meet the requirements of Chapter 4901:1-15 of the
		  Administrative Code, the company shall notify the director of the service
		  monitoring and enforcement department or the director's designee
		  immediately, unless otherwise provided in Chapter 4901:1-15 of the
		  Administrative Code, after the company becomes aware of its inability to meet
		  these standards. The company shall investigate, take appropriate corrective
		  action, and provide a report of such activities to the commission's
		  director of the service monitoring and enforcement department or the
		  director's designee within thirty calendar days after originally notifying
		  the commission. The required notification and report shall be provided either
		  in hard copy or electronically via the internet in a manner prescribed by the
		  commission.