Benefits of the District

Benefits of the District

By forming a District, the agencies in Portage County will be able to efficiently accomplish mandated tasks:

  • Surface water quality in Portage County will be improved by each of the programs operated by the District.
  • Public health and safety will be improved by a reduction in pollutants that are found in waters used by County residents for drinking, industry, agriculture, recreation and waste treatment.
  • Benefits of the DistrictStorm water system will be proactively maintained, reducing costly emergency repairs and possibly long-term capital costs. This maintenance is not currently being performed to the extent required by the Ohio EPA.
  • Illicit discharges will be tracked and eliminated. The Portage County Board of Health will utilize District funds to perform required tests to determine if a discharge is polluted and locate its source. The Portage County Prosecutor will be given funds to pursue legal actions against those who are found to be in violation of the Illicit Discharge and Storm Water Rules.
  • Benefits of the DistrictConstruction sites will be inspected regularly to ensure compliance with the Construction Site Sediment, Erosion, and Storm Water Rules. Currently the Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District is unable to perform the inspections required by the Ohio EPA Storm Water Permit. Under the District, they will be able to conduct at least a monthly inspection of each construction site in the County.
  • Public education efforts will be expanded. With additional funding from the District, the Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District will be able to reach out to more schools, businesses and citizens than ever before.
  • Existing resources will be utilized whenever possible. No new agencies will be created for this District; the Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District, Portage County Board of Health, and the Portage County Engineer will run the programs.
  • Fines or other punitive action from the Ohio EPA will be avoided. By meeting the Six Minimum Measures, Portage County will come into compliance.