Editor, Gov1

Ohio Village Hit by Lead in Drinking Water Gets U.S. Grant

USDA to give the village of Sebring, Ohio, $400,000 for corrosion control technology.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEBRING, Ohio (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to pay for improvements at an Ohio village’s water treatment plant to help stop corrosive water from leaching lead into tap water.

Officials announced Monday that Sebring will receive $400,000 from the USDA to pay for technology that will alert plant operators to add chemicals when the water becomes too acidic.

Sebring is about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland. It came under scrutiny in January when schools closed and pregnant women and small children were warned not to drink tap water after high lead levels were found in some homes.

Sebring fired the plant’s manager soon after the warning. Two state Environmental Protection Agency employees also were fired after agency officials said the employees mishandled the situation in Sebring.