Former Sebring water-system operator to go on trial Nov. 6

SEBRING — James V. Bates, the former water-system operator here, is now scheduled to go on trial Nov. 6 on three charges filed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

They accuse him of drinking-water violations associated with the village’s 2016 water crisis.

Bates, 61, of Carey Road, Salem, also will have a pretrial hearing July 27 and one Sept. 7 focused on pending motions.

Bates faces two counts of recklessly failing to provide timely notice of individual lead tap-water test results to affected consumers and one count of recklessly failing to provide timely systemwide public education in violation of Ohio’s safe-drinking water laws.

The crisis involved a tap-water drinking advisory, closing of schools, blood lead-level testing clinics being conducted and free bottled water being distributed.