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Here are some important dates involving issues at the Sebring public water system
LEAD TIMELINE
Related story: Outrage in Sebring
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Here are some important dates involving issues at the Sebring public water system (PWS) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
June 6, 2015: The computer recording turbidity (the cloudiness of a fluid caused by large numbers of particles) of the Sebring PWS had crashed. It had not been repaired or replaced for at least 19 days, in which time James Bates, Sebring water treatment plant superintendent, indicated he was having turbidity rates manually recorded every four hours.
June 25: Chris Maslo, environmental specialist for Ohio EPA, conducted a sanitary survey of the PWS.
July 24: Maslo conducted a second sanitary survey.
August: Samples are collected from within the Sebring PWS pursuant to three-year tests.
Oct. 10: Ohio EPA was informed of elevated levels of lead in the water greater than 15 parts per billion.
Nov. 10: The 30-day deadline by which the tested households were to have received their results was missed.
Nov. 17: Ohio EPA sent a letter to Bates for failure to report sample results within the required time.
Nov. 19: Bates indicated turbidity computer had been repaired.
Nov. 29: Deadline for public notification of elevated lead levels.
Dec. 10: The deadline for the water system to have completed the notification and public education.
Dec. 11: Bates’ lead and copper monitoring report that was submitted to Ohio EPA was incomplete and lacks complete addresses of sampling sites.
Dec. 17: Sebring city Manager Richard Giroux is notified additional violations are discovered from Nov. 12 testing.
Dec. 20: The deadline for the water system to have reported to Ohio EPA the documentation of the communication and public education efforts.
Dec. 22: A verification of lead consumer notice issuance signed by Bates notifying levels found up to 21 parts per billion was submitted to the EPA.
Jan. 15, 2016: Ohio EPA wrote a follow-up letter to Giroux, explaining public education requirements on the lead finding, and asking for a completed verification form after the public was notified.
Jan. 21: Ohio EPA issued three violations which triggered notification to the public.
Source: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency; Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus