Water, sewer bills going up in small Ohio cities

COLUMBUS (AP) — Homeowners in small Ohio cities, including Salem, are likely to see water and sewer bills go up to pay for treating the motor oil and other pollutants that wash from their driveways and flow toward streams.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has recently told 36 cities that it’s their turn to meet federal mandates to apply for a pollution discharge permit and submit a plan for handling runoff from rainstorms. Large and medium cities went through the changes in the past decade.

Local governments, which have about six months to comply after receiving notice from the state, are trying to squeeze their budgets, and some say they have no choice but to raise user fees.

For the complete story, see Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.