Ohio EPA ends Madison Village’s permit for wastewater treatment plant
Madison Village in Ohio has recently had its permit for operating its wastewater treatment plant terminated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The village ceased operating the facility since November of 2024 following the completion of a new sanitary sewer interconnection project. Village Administrator Jason Chapman shared during a recent Village Council meeting that the plant’s permit was formally known as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and was terminated after the completion of necessary paperwork.
Chapman received confirmation from the Ohio EPA in a January 27 email that Madison’s NPDES permit had been officially terminated. The village had to wait until the end of 2025 to file all the required monthly reports for the previous year on the removal and transportation of wastewater sludge from the plant before the authorization could be canceled. This process was crucial, as the village had to submit reports for every month of 2025 detailing the sludge removal, culminating in a comprehensive report for the entire year in December.
During the Village Council meeting, Mark Vest, the panel’s president, inquired about the future plans for the decommissioned wastewater treatment plant after the termination of the NPDES permit. Chapman revealed that once the snowplowing season finishes, the village’s Service Department employees would clear out items that could be taken to a scrap yard, with considerations for selling other parts of the plant on an online auction platform, govdeals.com.
The village transitioned away from treating its wastewater internally in November of 2024 after the completion of the sanitary sewer interconnection project led by the Lake County Department of Utilities. New trunk lines were constructed to route the village’s sanitary sewage to the county Utilities Department Wastewater Treatment Plant. In 2025, the village successfully decommissioned its wastewater treatment plant, a process that involved draining all gray water and sludge, dismantling equipment, and discontinuing utilities.
The decommissioning of the plant was a collaborative effort involving village Service Department workers and independent contractor Wick Hathaway, who had been the plant operator. Despite the significant savings of approximately $139,120 achieved through this joint effort compared to other cost estimates exceeding $500,000, the project was effectively completed. Looking ahead, Chapman mentioned plans to evaluate the future of the wastewater treatment plant property.
In conclusion, the Ohio EPA’s termination of Madison Village’s permit for its wastewater treatment plant signifies a significant milestone following the completion of the village’s transition to a new wastewater treatment system and decommissioning of the plant. The village can now focus on repurposing the plant property and determining its next steps in managing wastewater treatment in the region.