Water Service Outages in Ohio by City
The most common health-based drinking water violation in Ohio since 2015 involves contaminant averages over the limit; 291 of 1,125 systems have had at least one violation.
Ohio drinking water record
Busiest year: 2024 (179 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 1,125 active systems serve about 10,455,183 people. 811 of them (72%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 861 draw mainly on groundwater and 263 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 785, at 291 systems (26% of all systems). That share is 21st of 50 states (1 = lowest).
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (448); uncorrected Ground Water Rule deficiencies (57); water chemistry for corrosion control (41). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Cleveland Public Water System, about 1,308,955 people, with 0 health-based violations since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Ohio home was built in 1970 (US 1980). Older housing stock means more lead service lines left to replace. Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 13 episodes in Ohio since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- August 6, 2024, Cuyahoga (thunderstorm wind): “Numerous trees downed at and just east of the wastewater treatment plant in Bratenahl, and minor roof damage occurred at a nearby apartment building.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- December 23, 2022, Lawrence (extreme cold/wind chill): “The city of Ironton experienced power failures and water main disruptions that took three days to complete full restoration.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Public Water System | 1,308,955 | Surface water | 0 |
| Columbus Public Water System | 1,305,946 | Surface water | 1 |
| Cincinnati Public Water System | 750,200 | Surface water | 0 |
| Toledo City Of | 360,000 | Surface water | 1 |
| Akron City Pws | 280,000 | Surface water | 1 |
| Montgomery County Water Services 1 Pws | 150,207 | Bought surface water | 2 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Ohio is 2nd of 6 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Ohio, city by city
10 Ohio cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Columbus Columbus Division of Water
- Cleveland Cleveland Water
- Cincinnati Greater Cincinnati Water Works
- Toledo City of Toledo Division of Water
- Akron Akron Water Supply
- Dayton City of Dayton Department of Water
- Parma Cleveland Water
- Canton City of Canton Water Department
- Youngstown City of Youngstown Water Department
- Lorain City of Lorain Utilities Department
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Ohio right now?
Possibly: 1 report from Ohio on this site in the last 24 hours. Open your city to see where.
How many public water systems are in Ohio?
EPA records list 1,125 active community water systems in Ohio, serving about 10,455,183 people. 72% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Ohio?
Since 2015, 291 of 1,125 community water systems in Ohio (26%) have had at least one health-based violation, 785 in total.
What is the largest water system in Ohio?
Cleveland Public Water System, which EPA records list as serving about 1,308,955 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Ohio with Water Service Outages Information
Canton
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 70,435
City of Canton Water Department
Cincinnati
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 309,317
Greater Cincinnati Water Works
Columbus
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 905,748
Columbus Division of Water
Dayton
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 140,599
City of Dayton Department of Water
Lorain
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 63,219
City of Lorain Utilities Department
Toledo
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 270,871
City of Toledo Division of Water
Youngstown
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 64,126
City of Youngstown Water Department