The county purchases its water from Dayton’s public water system. The Montgomery County Environmental Services distribution system provides water to Kettering, Centerville and Riverside, as well as portions of central and northern Montgomery County.
“Continual monitoring of the water quality in a distribution system is critical to the wellbeing of our community,” said Montgomery County Environmental Services manager Jim Davis. “Our team here takes this role very seriously. We drink this water, too.”
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Montgomery County leaders celebrated the opening of the new laboratory, which employs six people, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday afternoon.
“The environmental research and innovation really makes a difference, and it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to excellence and our willingness to embrace change in support of shared goals,” said Montgomery County commission president Debbie Lieberman.
The Montgomery County commission approved $6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the project, which kicked off in 2022.
In 2023, staff analyzed more than 11,000 samples for approximately 35,000 tests, according to Environmental Services.
Analysts who work in the county’s sampling lab began moving from their old location on Dryden Road in Moraine last year. Staff test for lead, copper, organics, bacteria and other contaminants.
The county’s water service department is regulated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The lab has submitted 339 results for evaluation over the past three years with all being scored as “acceptable” by the state. Over the past 10 years, the acceptance rate was 99.2%, according to Environmental Services.
The decision to move the laboratory came at a time where the commission was updating other aging infrastructure within Environmental Services and other departments.
The funding went toward updating the former daycare and updating equipment throughout the laboratory. The laboratory features state-of-the art equipment and design choices that increase safety.
“Staff have the ability to actually see each other with a modern, open-concept floor plan. It’s the little things that make such a big difference,” said Environmental Services director Matt Hilliard.
About the Author
