In its fight against algae in Ohio鈥檚 lakes and streams, the is moving to expand enforcement of one of its regulations. It鈥檚 a move that might cause a bump in some water bills 鈥� about a $1-per-month increase per household, according to state and private-sector reports.
The money is for upgrading wastewater plants so they release no more than 1-milligram of phosphorus per liter of output. Ohio EPA wants a bill passed next year to make that limit, now only enforced in the Lake Erie basin, apply everywhere.
Jamie Gellner, president of says his private non-profit treatment-industry group sees both a minus and a plus in the idea.
鈥淎 one-size-fits all limit in many cases will cost money where there wouldn鈥檛 be a benefit,鈥� Gellner says. 鈥淎lso acknowledging that in some of those watersheds there would be a benefit to having a point-sources limit on some of those discharges.鈥�
鈥淧oint source鈥� refers to municipal and industrial treatment plants. It's one of the five major ways phosphorus gets into surface waters.
