MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED
01
Researched potential sources of contamination to the Little Miami aquifer and identified threats to our community's water supply.
Volunteered at the Little Miami Conservancy Clean Sweep to clean the Little Miami River, which feeds our aquifer.
02
Collected tap water samples and submitted to an independent lab for analysis.
Assessed the need for the IHWW treatment facility to add a filtration system.
Toured other municipal treatment facilities and conducted more research on filtration options.
03
Researched infrastructure
grants to help with funding to upgrade our municipalities' water treatment system.
Presented all of our findings to the Indian Hill Village Council and Community Leaders. They agreed with our assessment and voted to install a GAC filtration system on our community's water treatment facility!
Taking Action!
Using Power Point slides, we presented our research findings to the Indian Hill Village Council and the administrators of our municipal water treatment facility. We made strong recommendations that the facility be upgraded to make our community's water safe. The presentation was well received and Council agreed to take action!
OUR RESEARCH
IHPWP Volunteers at the Little Miami Clean Sweep
We recruited additional hearty souls to help us on this endeavor.
Our Team.
Jack and Graham recruited like-minded individuals who all believe clean water is vital to good health and that our mission is attainable and worthy of our efforts.
About IHPWP Founders
In the spring of 2023, as we watched our dad replace the water filter under our kitchen sink, it dawned on us that households in our community lacking filtration system are drinking contaminated water. We found this concerning. Everyone deserves access to clean water! So we decided to raise awareness and take action by forming this 501(c)(3) non-profit. Keep reading to discover how we are making an impact.
Jack & Graham Kruse
Key Findings & Concerns:
On top of the Little Miami River Aquifer is permeable sand, gravel, and bedrock containing fractures. This means our aquifer receives direct recharge from the Little Miami River, precipitation, and runoff. In 2004, the Ohio EPA performed a source water assessment for our well field and designated it as highly susceptible to contamination due to the geology of the land and the existence of many potential sources of contamination in the area. Water quality analysis of our tap water indicates that contamination of the aquifer is already taking place. Among those chemicals detected is PFAS/PFOS "forever chemicals."
PFAS “forever chemicals” cause the following health problems:
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Increases the risk of certain cancers
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Affects growth, learning, and behavior of infants and children
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Lowers a woman’s chances of getting pregnant
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Interferes with the body’s natural hormones
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Increases cholesterol levels
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Affects the immune system
Potential Sources of Contamination:
We researched potential sources of contamination to determine if a municipal filtration system is necessary for reasons independent of proposed EPA guidelines on “forever chemicals.” They include:
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The Superfund site located in Old Milford (near the corner of Lila Avenue and Baker) contains large amounts of spilled vinyl chloride, a degreaser used in auto mechanic shops and dry cleaners. Vinyl Chloride was found in the Little Miami aquifer less than one mile from IHWW facility. The plume from the spill has been detected drifting northwest from that area (which is in the direction of the IHWW wellheads).
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In 2022, a report from Physicians for Social Responsibility found that companies used PFAS in 101 Ohio oil and gas wells since 2013 and Ohio’s disclosure laws make it difficult to determine the extent of PFAS contamination in waterways.
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Airport runoff containing fire-fighting foam, a source of “forever chemical.” Airports near or adjacent to our aquifer include: Lunken Airport, Wright Patterson Airforce Base, and Warren County Airport. Airport runoff also contains de-icing fluids (propylene glycol).
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Industrial runoff and discharge from the following businesses: auto mechanic shops, gas stations, asphalt companies, and car washes.
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Runoff from leaking septic systems, wastewater treatment plants, and stormwater
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The Construction debris landfill (near Round Bottom Rd) has been fined for contaminating the LM aquifer with arsenic. This is downstream from our wellhead but it demonstrates the susceptibility of our aquifer.
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Agricultural and residential runoff containing the following substances: herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticide.
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Chlorine byproducts in our tap water are a result of current practices used by the IHWW to disinfect the water. To reduce these levels, instead of solely relying on chlorinating the water, IHWW could implement filtration and utilizing UV lights.
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The many miles of train tracks traversing the land which sits directly on top of the LM aquifer puts our aquifer at risk of becoming contaminated in the event there is a train derailment. Many trains transport toxic chemicals. Train derailments occur an average of 1,400 times per year in the U.S. See diagram below showing the many railroad tracks above the Little Miami aquifer in southwest Ohio.
On April 10, 2024, the Federal EPA officially enacted new limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water.
Our community's water treatment facility, Indian Hill Water Works, is no longer in compliance with the EPA's guidelines. Indian Hill Water Works has five years to make sure the PFAS/PFOS levels are below 4 parts per trillion. But an expedited approach to reaching compliance is in everyone's best interest because we'll all be drinking water that contains unsafe levels "forever chemicals" in the interim. Our presentation to community's leaders stressed the urgency of building a filtration quickly.
Next Steps
We will continue monitoring the water quality in our community.
We will raise money to install filters for the water fountains at our school in order to immediately remove PFAS and other contaminants (because the municipal filtration system might take four years to build).
We will stay on top of research concerning innovative municipal filtration systems.
Please contact us if you would like to get involved!