Chapter 1521 | Division Of Water Resources

Title 15 Conservation of Natural Resources

Section
Section 1521.01 \| Definitions. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF As used in this chapter: (A) "Consumptive use" means a use of water resources, other than a diversion, that results in a loss of that water to the basin from which it is withdrawn and includes, but is not limited to, evaporation, evapotranspiration, and incorporation of water into a product or agricultural crop. (B) "Diversion" means a withdrawal of water resources from either the Lake Erie or Ohio river drainage basin and transfer to another basin without return. "Diversion" does not include evaporative loss within the basin of withdrawal. (C) "Other great lakes states and provinces" means states other than this state that are parties to the great lakes basin compact under Chapter 6161. of the Revised Code and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. (D) "Water resources" means any waters of the state that are available or may be made available to agricultural, industrial, commercial, and domestic users. (E) "Waters of the state" includes all streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, watercourses, waterways, wells, springs, irrigation systems, drainage systems, and other bodies or accumulations of water, surface and underground, natural or artificial, regardless of the depth of the strata in which underground water is located, that are situated wholly or partly within or bordering upon this state or are within its jurisdiction. (F) "Well" means any excavation, regardless of design or method of construction, created for any of the following purposes: (1) Removing ground water from or recharging water into an aquifer, excluding subsurface drainage systems installed to enhance agricultural crop production or urban or suburban landscape management or to control seepage in dams and levees; (2) Determining the quantity, quality, level, or movement of ground water in or the stratigraphy of an aquifer, excluding borings for instrumentation in dams, levees, or highway embankments; (3) Removing or exchanging heat from ground water, excluding horizontal trenches that are installed for water source heat pump systems. (G) "Aquifer" means a consolidated or unconsolidated geologic formation or series of formations that are hydraulically interconnected and that have the ability to receive, store, or transmit water. (H) "Ground water" means all water occurring in an aquifer. (I) "Ground water stress area" means a definable geographic area in which ground water quantity is being affected by human activity or natural forces to the extent that continuous availability of supply is jeopardized by withdrawals. (J) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the Revised Code and also includes the United States, the state, any political subdivision of the state, and any department, division, board, commission, agency, or instrumentality of the United States, the state, or a political subdivision of the state. (K) "State agency" or "agency of the state" has the same meaning as "agency" in section 111.15 of the Revised Code. (L) "Cone of depression" means a depression or low point in the water table or potentiometric surface of a body of ground water that develops around a location from which ground water is being withdrawn. (M) "Facility" has the same meaning as in section 1522.10 of the Revised Code. (N) "Hydrologic study area" means the area within a four-mile radius from the boundary of the withdrawal area. (O) "Well field" means a contiguous land area containing two or more wells that provide water to a facility. (P) "Withdrawal area" means the proposed well or well field location or locations. (Q) "Development" means any artificial change to improved or unimproved real estate, including the construction of buildings and other structures, any substantial improvement of a structure, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavating, and drilling operations, and storage of equipment or materials. (R) "Floodplain" means the area adjoining any river, stream, watercourse, or lake that has been or may be covered by flood water. (S) "Floodplain management" means the implementation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including the collection and dissemination of flood information, construction of flood control works, nonstructural flood damage reduction techniques, and adoption of rules, ordinances, or resolutions governing development in floodplains. (T) "One-hundred-year flood" means a flood having a one per cent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. (U) "One-hundred-year floodplain" means that portion of a floodplain inundated by a one-hundred-year flood. (V) "Structure" means a walled and roofed building, including, without limitation, gas or liquid storage tanks and manufactured homes. (W) "Substantial improvement" means any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds fifty per cent of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. "Substantial improvement" includes repairs to structures that have incurred substantial damage regardless of the actual repair work performed. "Substantial improvement" does not include either of the following: (1) Any project for the improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications that have been identified by the state or local code enforcement official having jurisdiction and that are the minimum necessary to ensure safe living conditions; (2) Any alteration of an historic structure designated or listed pursuant to federal or state law, provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued listing or designation as an historic structure. (X) "Substantial damage" means damage of any origin that is sustained by a structure if the cost of restoring the structure to its condition prior to the damage would equal or exceed fifty per cent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. (Y) "National flood insurance program" means the national flood insurance program established in the "National Flood Insurance Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 572, 42 U.S.C. 4001, as amended, and regulations adopted under it. (Z) "Conservancy district" means a conservancy district established under Chapter 6101. of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.03 \| Chief of division - powers and duties. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The chief of the division of water resources shall do all of the following: (A) Assist in an advisory capacity any properly constituted watershed district, conservancy district, or soil and water conservation district or any county, municipal corporation, or other government agency of the state in the planning of works for ground water recharge, flood mitigation, floodplain management, flood control, flow capacity and stability of streams, rivers, and watercourses, or the establishment of water conservation practices, within the limits of the appropriations for those purposes; (B) Have authority to conduct basic inventories of the water and related natural resources in each drainage basin in the state; to develop a plan on a watershed basis that will recognize the variety of uses to which water may be put and the need for its management for those uses; with the approval of the director of natural resources and the controlling board, to transfer appropriated or other funds, authorized for those inventories and plan, to any division of the department of natural resources or other state agencies for the purpose of developing pertinent data relating to the plan of water management; and to accept and expend moneys contributed by any person for implementing the development of the plan; (C) Have authority to make detailed investigations of all factors relating to floods, floodplain management, and flood control in the state with particular attention to those factors bearing upon the hydraulic and hydrologic characteristics of rivers, streams, and watercourses, recognizing the variety of uses to which water and watercourses may be put; (D) Cooperate with the United States or any agency thereof and with any political subdivision of the state in planning and constructing flood control works; (E) Hold meetings or public hearings, whichever is considered appropriate by the chief, to assist in the resolution of conflicts between ground water users. Such meetings or hearings shall be called upon written request from boards of health of city or general health districts created by or under the authority of Chapter 3709. of the Revised Code or authorities having the duties of a board of health as authorized by section 3709.05 of the Revised Code, boards of county commissioners, boards of township trustees, legislative authorities of municipal corporations, or boards of directors of conservancy districts and may be called by the chief upon the request of any other person or at the chief's discretion. The chief shall collect and present at such meetings or hearings the available technical information relevant to the conflicts and to the ground water resource. The chief shall prepare a report, and may make recommendations, based upon the available technical data and the record of the meetings or hearings, about the use of the ground water resource. In making the report and any recommendations, the chief also may consider the factors listed in division (B) of section 1521.17 of the Revised Code. The technical information presented, the report prepared, and any recommendations made under this division shall be presumed to be prima-facie authentic and admissible as evidence in any court pursuant to Evidence Rule 902. (F) Perform stream or ground water gauging and may contract with the United States government or any other agency for the gauging of any streams or ground water within the state; (G) Primarily with regard to water quantity, have authority to collect, study, map, and interpret all available information, statistics, and data pertaining to the availability, supply, use, conservation, and replenishment of the ground and surface waters in the state in coordination with other agencies of this state; (H) Primarily with regard to water quantity and availability, be authorized to cooperate with and negotiate for the state with any agency of the United States government, of this state, or of any other state pertaining to the water resources of the state; (I) Provide engineering support for the coastal management program established under Chapter 1506. of the Revised Code; (J) Define "Lake Erie drainage basin" and "Ohio river drainage basin" for the purposes of this chapter and Chapter 1522. of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.04 \| Use of water management fund. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The chief of the division of water resources may make loans and grants from the water management fund created in section 1521.22 of the Revised Code to governmental agencies for water management, water supply improvements, and planning. The chief may administer grants from the federal government and from other public or private sources for carrying out those functions and for the performance of any acts that may be required by the United States or by any agency or department thereof as a condition for the participation by any governmental agency in any federal financial or technical assistance program. Direct and indirect costs of administration may be paid from the fund. (B) The chief may use the water management fund for any of the following purposes: (1) Administering the water diversion and consumptive use permit programs established under this chapter and the withdrawal and consumptive use permit program established under Chapter 1522. of the Revised Code; (2) To perform watershed and water resources studies for the purposes of water management planning; (3) To acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, equip, maintain, operate, and dispose of water management improvements. (C) The chief may fix, alter, charge, and collect rates, fees, rentals, and other charges to be paid into the fund by governmental agencies and persons who are supplied with water by facilities constructed or operated by the department of natural resources in order to amortize and defray the cost of the construction, maintenance, and operation of those facilities.
Section 1521.05 \| Well construction logs - well sealing reports. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) As used in this section: (1) "Construct" or "construction" includes drilling, boring, digging, deepening, altering, and logging. (2) "Altering" means changing the configuration of a well, including, without limitation, deepening a well, extending or replacing any portion of the inside or outside casing or wall of a well that extends below ground level, plugging a portion of a well back to a certain depth, and reaming out a well to enlarge its original diameter. (3) "Logging" means describing the lithology, grain size, color, and texture of the formations encountered during the drilling, boring, digging, deepening, or altering of a well. (4) "Grouting" means neat cement; bentonite products in slurry, granular, or pelletized form, excluding drilling mud or fluids; or any combination of neat cement and bentonite products that is placed within a well to seal the annular space or to seal an abandoned well and that is impervious to and capable of preventing the movement of water. (5) "Abandoned well" means a well whose use has been permanently discontinued and that poses potential health and safety hazards or that has the potential to transmit surface contaminants into the aquifer in which the well has been constructed. (6) "Sealing" means the complete filling of an abandoned well with grouting or other approved materials in order to permanently prevent the vertical movement of water in the well and thus prevent the contamination of ground water or the intermixing of water between aquifers. (B) Any person that constructs a well shall keep a careful and accurate log of the construction of the well. The log shall show all of the following: (1) The character, including, without limitation, the lithology, color, texture, and grain size, the name, if known, and the depth of all formations passed through or encountered; (2) The depths at which water is encountered; (3) The static water level of the completed well; (4) A copy of the record of all pumping tests and analyses related to those tests, if any; (5) Construction details, including lengths, diameters, and thicknesses of casing and screening and the volume, type of material, and method of introducing gravel packing and grouting into the well; (6) The type of pumping equipment installed, if any; (7) The name of the owner of the well, the address of the location where the well was constructed, and either the state plane coordinates or the latitude and longitude of the well; (8) The signature of the individual who constructed the well and filed the well log; (9) Any other information required by the chief of the division of water resources. The log shall be filed with the division of water resources within thirty days after the completion of construction of the well on forms prescribed and prepared by the division. The log shall be kept on file by the division. (C) Any person that seals a well shall keep a careful and accurate report of the sealing of the well. The sealing report shall show all of the following: (1) The name of the owner of the well, the address of the location where the well was constructed, and either the state plane coordinates or the latitude and longitude of the well; (2) The depth of the well, the size and length of its casing, and the static water level of the well; (3) The sealing procedures, including the volume and type of sealing material or materials and the method and depth of placement of each material; (4) The date on which the sealing was performed; (5) The signature of the individual who sealed the well and filed the sealing report; (6) Any other information required by the chief. The sealing report shall be filed with the division within thirty days after the completion of the sealing of the well on forms prescribed and prepared by the division. (D) In accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, the chief may adopt, amend, and rescind rules requiring other persons that are involved in the construction or subsequent development of a well to submit well logs under division (B) of this section containing any or all of the information specified in divisions (B)(1) to (9) of this section and specifying additional information to be included in sealing reports required under division (C) of this section. The chief shall adopt rules establishing procedures and requirements governing the payment and collection of water well log filing fees, including the amount of any filing fee to be imposed as an alternative to the twenty-dollar filing fee established in division (G) of this section and including procedures for the quarterly transfer of filing fees by boards of health and the director of environmental protection under that division. (E)(1) No person shall fail to keep and file a well log or a sealing report as required by this section. (2) No person shall make a false statement in any well log or sealing report required to be kept and filed under this section. Violation of division (E)(2) of this section is falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code. (F) For the purposes of prosecution of a violation of division (E)(1) of this section, a prima-facie case is established when the division obtains either of the following: (1) A certified copy of a permit for a private water system issued in accordance with rules adopted under section 3701.344 of the Revised Code, or a certified copy of the invoice or a canceled check from the owner of a well indicating the construction or sealing services performed; (2) A certified copy of any permit issued under Chapter 3734. or 6111. of the Revised Code or plan approval granted under Chapter 6109. of the Revised Code for any activity that includes the construction or sealing of a well as applicable. (G) In accordance with rules adopted under this section, a person or entity that constructs a well for the purpose of extracting potable water as part of a private water system that is subject to rules adopted under section 3701.344 of the Revised Code or a public water system that is required to be licensed under Chapter 6109. of the Revised Code shall pay a well log filing fee of twenty dollars per well log or, if the chief has adopted rules establishing an alternative fee amount, the fee amount established under rules. The fee shall be collected by a board of health under section 3701.344 of the Revised Code or the environmental protection agency under section 6109.22 of the Revised Code, as applicable. Each calendar quarter, a board of health or the environmental protection agency, as applicable, shall forward all well log filing fees collected during the previous calendar quarter to the division of water resources. The fees shall be forwarded in accordance with procedures established in rules adopted under this section. Proceeds of well log filing fees shall be used by the division of water resources for the purposes of acquiring, maintaining, and dispensing digital and paper records of well logs that are filed with the division.
Section 1521.06 \| Construction permits for dams or levees required; exceptions. Effective: September 30, 2021 Latest Legislation: House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) No dam may be constructed for the purpose of storing, conserving, or retarding water, or for any other purpose, nor shall any levee be constructed for the purpose of diverting or retaining flood water, unless the person or governmental agency desiring the construction has a construction permit for the dam or levee issued by the chief of the division of water resources. A construction permit is not required under this section for: (1) A dam that is or will be less than ten feet in height and that has or will have a storage capacity of not more than fifty acre-feet at the elevation of the top of the dam, as determined by the chief. For the purposes of this section, the height of a dam shall be measured from the natural stream bed or lowest ground elevation at the downstream or outside limit of the dam to the elevation of the top of the dam. (2) A dam, regardless of height, that has or will have a storage capacity of not more than fifteen acre-feet at the elevation of the top of the dam, as determined by the chief; (3) A dam, regardless of storage capacity, that is or will be six feet or less in height, as determined by the chief; (4) A dam or levee that belongs to a class exempted by the chief; (5) The repair, maintenance, improvement, alteration, or removal of a dam or levee that is subject to section 1521.062 of the Revised Code, unless the construction constitutes an enlargement or reconstruction of the structure as determined by the chief; (6) A dam or impoundment constructed under Chapter 1513. of the Revised Code. (B) Before a construction permit may be issued, three copies of the plans and specifications, including a detailed cost estimate, for the proposed construction, prepared by a registered professional engineer, together with any filing fee specified by rules adopted by the chief in accordance with division (I) of this section and the bond or other security required by section 1521.061 of the Revised Code, shall be filed with the chief. The detailed estimate of the cost shall include all costs associated with the construction of the dam or levee, including supervision and inspection of the construction by a registered professional engineer. All fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the dam safety fund, which is hereby created. Expenditures from the fund shall be made by the chief for the purpose of administering this section and sections 1521.061 and 1521.062 of the Revised Code. (C) The chief shall, within thirty days from the date of the receipt of the application, fee, and bond or other security, issue or deny a construction permit for the construction or may issue a construction permit conditioned upon the making of such changes in the plans and specifications for the construction as the chief considers advisable if the chief determines that the construction of the proposed dam or levee, in accordance with the plans and specifications filed, would endanger life, health, or property. (D) The chief may deny a construction permit after finding that a dam or levee built in accordance with the plans and specifications would endanger life, health, or property, because of improper or inadequate design, or for such other reasons as the chief may determine. In the event the chief denies a permit for the construction of the dam or levee, or issues a permit conditioned upon a making of changes in the plans or specifications for the construction, the chief shall state the reasons therefor and so notify, in writing, the person or governmental agency making the application for a permit. If the permit is denied, the chief shall return the bond or other security to the person or governmental agency making application for the permit. The decision of the chief conditioning or denying a construction permit is subject to appeal as provided in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. A dam or levee built substantially at variance from the plans and specifications upon which a construction permit was issued is in violation of this section. The chief may at any time inspect any dam or levee, or site upon which any dam or levee is to be constructed, in order to determine whether it complies with this section. (E) A registered professional engineer shall inspect the construction for which the permit was issued during all phases of construction and shall furnish to the chief such regular reports of the engineer's inspections as the chief may require. When the chief finds that construction has been fully completed in accordance with the terms of the permit and the plans and specifications approved by the chief, the chief shall approve the construction. When one year has elapsed after approval of the completed construction, and the chief finds that within this period no fact has become apparent to indicate that the construction was not performed in accordance with the terms of the permit and the plans and specifications approved by the chief, or that the construction as performed would endanger life, health, or property, the chief shall release the bond or other security. No bond or other security shall be released until one year after final approval by the chief, unless the dam or levee has been modified so that it will not retain water and has been approved as nonhazardous after determination by the chief that the dam or levee as modified will not endanger life, health, or property. (F) When inspections required by this section are not being performed, the chief shall notify the person or governmental agency to which the permit has been issued that inspections are not being performed by the registered professional engineer and that the chief will inspect the remainder of the construction. Thereafter, the chief shall inspect the construction and the cost of inspection shall be charged against the owner. Failure of the registered professional engineer to submit required inspection reports shall be deemed notice that the engineer's inspections are not being performed. (G) The chief may order construction to cease on any dam or levee that is being built in violation of this section, and may prohibit the retention of water behind any dam or levee that has been built in violation of this section. (H) The chief may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, for the design and construction of dams and levees for which a construction permit is required by this section or for which periodic inspection is required by section 1521.062 of the Revised Code, for deposit and forfeiture of bonds and other securities required by section 1521.061 of the Revised Code, for the periodic inspection, operation, repair, improvement, alteration, or removal of all dams and levees, as specified in section 1521.062 of the Revised Code, and for establishing classes of dams or levees that are exempt from the requirements of this section and section 1521.062 of the Revised Code as being of a size, purpose, or situation that does not present a substantial hazard to life, health, or property. The chief may, by rule, limit the period during which a construction permit issued under this section is valid. The rules may allow for the extension of the period during which a permit is valid upon written request, provided that the written request includes a revised construction cost estimate, and may require the payment of an additional filing fee for the requested extension. If a construction permit expires without an extension before construction is completed, the person or agency shall apply for a new permit, and shall not continue construction until the new permit is issued. (I) The chief shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code establishing a filing fee schedule for purposes of division (B) of this section. Last updated August 4, 2021 at 3:02 PM
Section 1521.061 \| Surety bond conditioned on satisfactory completion of project in accordance with terms of permit and plans and specifications. Effective: October 3, 2023 Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the chief of the division of water resources shall not issue a construction permit under section 1521.06 of the Revised Code unless the person or governmental agency applying for the permit executes and files a surety bond conditioned on completion of the dam or levee in accordance with the terms of the permit and the plans and specifications approved by the chief. Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, the surety bond shall equal: (a) $50,000 for the first $500,000 of the estimated cost of the project; plus (b) Twenty-five per cent of the estimated cost for the next $4,500,000 of the estimated cost of the project; plus (c) Ten per cent of the estimated cost that exceeds $5,000,000. (2) The chief may reduce the amount of the required surety bond to the amount equal to the cost estimate of construction activities necessary to render the dam nonhazardous if the cost estimate is provided by the applicant and approved by the chief. (B) If a permittee requests an extension of the time period during which a construction permit is valid in accordance with rules adopted under section 1521.06 of the Revised Code, the chief shall determine whether the revised construction cost estimate provided with the request exceeds the original construction cost estimate that was filed with the chief by more than twenty-five per cent. If the revised construction cost estimate exceeds the original construction cost estimate by more than twenty-five per cent, the chief may require an additional surety bond to be filed in an amount determined in accordance with division (A) of this section based on the revised construction cost estimate. (C) The chief shall not approve any bond until it is personally signed and acknowledged by both principal and surety, or as to either by the attorney in fact thereof, with a certified copy of the power of attorney attached. The chief shall not approve the bond unless there is attached a certificate of the superintendent of insurance that the company is authorized to transact a fidelity and surety business in this state. All bonds shall be given in a form prescribed by the chief and shall run to the state as obligee. (D)(1) The applicant may deposit, in lieu of a bond, cash in an amount equal to the amount of the bond or negotiable certificates of deposit issued by any bank organized or transacting business in this state having a par value equal to or greater than the amount of the bond. Such cash or securities shall be deposited upon the same terms as bonds. If one or more certificates of deposit are deposited in lieu of a bond, the chief shall require the bank that issued any such certificate to pledge securities of the aggregate market value equal to the amount of the certificate that is in excess of the amount insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation. The securities to be pledged shall be those designated as eligible under section 135.18 of the Revised Code. The securities shall be security for the repayment of the certificate of deposit. (2) Upon a deposit of cash or certificates of deposit, the chief shall hold them in trust for the purposes for which they have been deposited. If the applicant deposits cash, the cash shall be credited to the performance cash bond refunds fund created in section 1501.16 of the Revised Code. An applicant making a deposit of cash or certificates of deposit may withdraw and receive, from the chief, all or any portion of the cash or certificates of deposit upon depositing with the chief other negotiable certificates of deposit issued by any bank organized or transacting business in this state equal in par value to the par value of the cash or certificates of deposit withdrawn. An applicant may demand and receive from the chief all interest or other income from any such certificates as it becomes due. If certificates so deposited with and in the possession of the chief mature or are called for payment by the issuer thereof, the chief, at the request of the applicant who deposited them, shall convert the proceeds of the redemption or payment of the certificates into other negotiable certificates of deposit issued by any bank organized or transacting business in this state, or cash as the applicant designates. (E)(1) When the chief finds that a person or governmental agency has failed to comply with the conditions of the person's or agency's bond, the chief shall make a finding of that fact and declare the bond, cash, or certificates of deposit forfeited in the amount set by rule of the chief. The chief shall thereupon certify the total forfeiture to the attorney general, who shall proceed to collect that amount. (2) In lieu of total forfeiture, the surety, at its option, may cause the dam or levee to be completed as required by section 1521.06 of the Revised Code and rules of the chief, or otherwise rendered nonhazardous, or pay to the chief the cost thereof. (F)(1) All moneys collected on account of forfeitures of bonds, cash, and certificates of deposit under this section shall be credited to the dam safety fund created in section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. The chief shall make expenditures from the fund to complete dams and levees for which bonds have been forfeited or to otherwise render them nonhazardous. (2) Expenditures from the fund for those purposes shall be made pursuant to contracts entered into by the chief with persons who agree to furnish all of the materials, equipment, work, and labor as specified and provided in the contract. (G) A surety bond shall not be required for a permit for a dam or levee that is to be designed and constructed by an agency of the United States government, if the agency files with the chief written assurance of the agency's financial responsibility for the structure for one year following the chief's approval of the completed construction provided for under division (E) of section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. Last updated September 6, 2023 at 2:35 PM
Section 1521.062 \| Inspection of dams and levees. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) All dams and levees constructed in this state and not exempted by this section or by the chief of the division of water resources under section 1521.06 of the Revised Code shall be inspected periodically by the chief, except for classes of dams that, in accordance with rules adopted under this section, are required to be inspected by registered professional engineers who have been approved for that purpose by the chief. The inspection shall ensure that continued operation and use of the dam or levee does not constitute a hazard to life, health, or property. Periodic inspections shall not be required of the following structures: (1) A dam that is less than ten feet in height and has a storage capacity of not more than fifty acre-feet at the elevation of the top of the dam, as determined by the chief. For the purposes of this section, the height of a dam shall be measured from the natural stream bed or lowest ground elevation at the downstream or outside limit of the dam to the elevation of the top of the dam. (2) A dam, regardless of height, that has a storage capacity of not more than fifteen acre-feet at the elevation of the top of the dam, as determined by the chief; (3) A dam, regardless of storage capacity, that is six feet or less in height, as determined by the chief; (4) A dam or levee belonging to a class exempted by the chief; (5) A dam or levee that has been exempted in accordance with rules adopted under section 1521.064 of the Revised Code. (B) In accordance with rules adopted under this section, the owner of a dam that is in a class of dams that is designated in the rules for inspection by registered professional engineers shall obtain the services of a registered professional engineer who has been approved by the chief to conduct the periodic inspection of dams pursuant to schedules and other standards and procedures established in the rules. The registered professional engineer shall prepare a report of the inspection in accordance with the rules and provide the inspection report to the dam owner who shall submit it to the chief. A dam that is designated under the rules for inspection by a registered professional engineer, but that is not inspected within a five-year period may be inspected by the chief at the owner's expense. (C) Intervals between periodic inspections shall be determined by the chief, but shall not exceed five years. (D) In the case of a dam or levee that the chief inspects, the chief shall furnish a report of the inspection to the owner of the dam or levee. With regard to a dam or levee that has been inspected, either by the chief or by a registered professional engineer, and that is the subject of an inspection report prepared or received by the chief, the chief shall inform the owner of any required repairs, maintenance, investigations, and other remedial and operational measures. The chief shall order the owner to perform such repairs, maintenance, investigations, or other remedial or operational measures as the chief considers necessary to safeguard life, health, or property. The order shall permit the owner a reasonable time in which to perform the needed repairs, maintenance, investigations, or other remedial measures, and the cost thereof shall be borne by the owner. All orders of the chief are subject to appeal as provided in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. (E) The owner of a dam or levee shall monitor, maintain, and operate the structure and its appurtenances safely in accordance with state rules, terms and conditions of permits, orders, and other requirements issued pursuant to this section or section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. The owner shall fully and promptly notify the division of water resources and other responsible authorities of any condition that threatens the safety of the structure and shall take all necessary actions to safeguard life, health, and property. (F) Before commencing the repair, improvement, alteration, or removal of a dam or levee, the owner shall file an application including plans, specifications, and other required information with the division and shall secure written approval of the application by the chief. Emergency actions by the owner required to safeguard life, health, or property are exempt from this requirement. The chief may, by rule, define maintenance, repairs, or other remedial measures of a routine nature that are exempt from this requirement. (G) The chief may remove or correct, at the expense of the owner, any unsafe structures found to be constructed or maintained in violation of this section or section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. In the case of an owner other than a governmental agency, the cost of removal or correction of any unsafe structure, together with a description of the property on which the unsafe structure is located, shall be certified by the chief to the county auditor and placed by the county auditor upon the tax duplicate. This cost is a lien upon the lands from the date of entry and shall be collected as other taxes and returned to the division. In the case of an owner that is a governmental agency, the cost of removal or correction of any unsafe structure shall be recoverable from the owner by appropriate action in a court of competent jurisdiction. (H) If the condition of any dam or levee is found, in the judgment of the chief, to be so dangerous to the safety of life, health, or property as not to permit time for the issuance and enforcement of an order relative to repair, maintenance, or operation, the chief shall employ any of the following remedial means necessary to protect life, health, and property: (1) Lower the water level of the lake or reservoir by releasing water; (2) Completely drain the lake or reservoir; (3) Take such other measures or actions as the chief considers necessary to safeguard life, health, and property. The chief shall continue in full charge and control of the dam or levee until the structure is rendered safe. The cost of the remedy shall be recoverable from the owner of the structure by appropriate action in a court of competent jurisdiction. (I) The chief may accept and expend gifts, bequests, and grants from the United States government or from any other public or private source and may contract with the United States government or any other agency or entity for the purpose of carrying out the dam safety functions set forth in this section and section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. (J) In accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, the chief may adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules that do all of the following: (1) Designate classes of dams for which dam owners must obtain the services of a registered professional engineer to periodically inspect the dams and to prepare reports of the inspections for submittal to the chief; (2) Establish standards in accordance with which the chief must approve or disapprove registered professional engineers to inspect dams together with procedures governing the approval process; (3) Establish schedules, standards, and procedures governing periodic inspections and standards and procedures governing the preparation and submittal of inspection reports; (4) Establish provisions regarding the enforcement of this section and rules adopted under it. (K) The owner of a dam or levee shall notify the chief in writing of a change in ownership of the dam or levee prior to the exchange of the property.
Section 1521.063 \| Annual inspection fee. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) Except for the federal government, the owner of a dam, that is classified as a class I, class II, or class III dam under rules adopted under section 1521.06 of the Revised Code and subject to section 1521.062 of the Revised Code shall pay an annual fee in accordance with the annual fee schedule established in rules adopted under division (B) of this section. The fee shall be paid to the division of water resources on or before the thirtieth day of June of each year. All fees collected under this section shall be deposited in the dam safety fund created in section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. Any owner who fails to pay any annual fee required by this section within sixty days after the due date shall be assessed a penalty of ten per cent of the annual fee plus interest at the rate of one-half per cent per month from the due date until the date of payment. There is hereby created the compliant dam discount program to be administered by the chief of the division of water resources. Under the program, the chief may reduce the amount of the annual fee that an owner of a dam is required to pay in accordance with rules adopted by the chief under division (B) of this section if the owner is in compliance with section 1521.062 of the Revised Code and has developed an emergency action plan pursuant to standards established in rules adopted under this section. The chief shall not discount an annual fee by more than twenty-five per cent of the total annual fee that is due. In addition, the chief shall not discount the annual fee that is due from the owner of a dam who has been assessed a penalty under this section. (B)(1) The chief shall, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and subject to the prior approval of the director of natural resources, adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules for the collection of fees and the administration, implementation, and enforcement of this section. (2) The chief shall, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, adopt rules for the establishment of an annual fee schedule for purposes of this section. (3) The annual fee schedule must be based on the height of the dam, the linear foot length of the dam, and the per-acre foot of volume of water impounded by the dam. For purposes of this section, the height of a dam is the vertical height, to the nearest foot, as determined by the division under section 1521.062 of the Revised Code. (C) No person, political subdivision, or state governmental agency shall violate or fail to comply with this section or any rule or order adopted or issued under it. (D) As used in this section, "political subdivision" includes townships, municipal corporations, counties, school districts, municipal universities, park districts, sanitary districts, and conservancy districts and subdivisions thereof.
Section 1521.064 \| Administrative rules for exemption from inspections. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The chief of the division of water resources, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt, and may amend and rescind, rules establishing a program under which dams and levees may be exempted from inspections under section 1521.062 of the Revised Code if the continued operation and use of, and any rupturing of or other structural damage to, the dams and levees will not constitute a hazard to life, health, or property. The rules shall establish, without limitation, all of the following: (A) A procedure by which the owner of such a dam or levee may apply for an exemption under this section; (B) The standards that a dam or levee shall meet in order to be exempted under this section; (C) A procedure by which the chief shall periodically review the status of a dam or levee that has been exempted under this section to determine if the exemption should be rescinded; (D) A requirement that the owner of any dam or levee exempted under this section shall agree, in writing, to accept liability for any injury, death, or loss to persons or property caused by the rupturing of or other structural damage to the dam or levee.
Section 1521.07 \| Right of entry. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The chief of the division of water resources or any employee in the service of the division may enter upon lands to make surveys and inspections in accordance with this chapter, when necessary in the discharge of the duties enumerated in this chapter.
Section 1521.09 \| Reservoirs - reduction of assessed valuation. Effective: October 1, 1953 Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Any landowner, or groups of landowners or lessors, in this state not within the corporate limits of any municipal corporation in this state, who shall by the construction of a dam across any watercourse form upon his own land one or more reservoirs for the collection and storage of surface water, and who maintains such reservoirs in such condition as to collect and store such water, or who donates to the state or any of its agencies a tract of land on which the state or any of its agencies may erect and maintain a reservoir for the storage of water, is entitled to a reduction of the assessed valuation of the tract of land upon which such reservoir is located of forty dollars for each acre-foot of storage capacity afforded by such dam. The total amount of such reduction shall not exceed forty per cent of the assessed valuation of the entire contiguous acreage owned by the landowner and upon which such reservoirs are located.
Section 1521.10 \| Landowner to submit plans. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF In order to be entitled to the compensation provided for in section 1521.09 of the Revised Code, the landowner shall have prepared and submit to the division of water resources complete plans for the dam provided for in such section. The plans shall have the approval of the chief of the division of water resources and the dam shall be constructed in accordance with such plans before compensation can be claimed.
Section 1521.11 \| Certification. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Upon the completion of the dam referred to in section 1521.09 of the Revised Code to the satisfaction of the division of water resources, it shall certify the completion and the capacity thereof to the county auditor who shall thereupon make such reduction in the assessed valuation of the contiguous landowner as the contiguous landowner is entitled to receive under sections 1521.09 to 1521.12 of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.12 \| Approval of plans. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF In the event that any dam is constructed before plans are submitted to and approved by the division of water resources as required by section 1521.10 of the Revised Code, the landowner may submit plans of the dam the landowner has built, showing the area of the drainage basin above the dam, a cross section of the dam site, a cross section, plan, and elevation of the dam, a map of the spillway, a topographic map of the reservoir basin, and such other data and information as the division requires. If the plans receive the approval of the division, and upon examination the dam is found to be satisfactorily completed in accordance with such plans, the division shall certify the completion and capacity thereof to the county auditor. If the plans fail to meet the requirements of the division, the owner may submit revised plans, and when such revised plans have been approved and the dam rebuilt to conform to such plans, the completion of the dam and its capacity shall then be certified to the auditor who shall thereupon make such reduction in the assessed valuation of the contiguous land as such owner is entitled to receive under sections 1521.09 to 1521.12 of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.13 \| Floodplain management activities. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) Development in one-hundred-year floodplain areas shall be protected to at least the one-hundred-year flood level, and flood water conveyance shall be maintained, at a minimum, in accordance with standards established under the national flood insurance program. This division does not preclude a state agency or political subdivision from establishing flood protection standards that are more restrictive than this division. (B) Prior to the expenditure of money for or the construction of buildings, structures, roads, bridges, or other facilities in locations that may be subject to flooding or flood damage, all state agencies and political subdivisions shall notify and consult with the division of water resources and shall furnish information that the division reasonably requires in order to avoid the uneconomic, hazardous, or unnecessary use of floodplains in connection with such facilities. (C) The chief of the division of water resources shall do all of the following: (1) Coordinate the floodplain management activities of state agencies and political subdivisions with the floodplain management activities of the United States, including the national flood insurance program; (2) Collect, prepare, and maintain technical data and information on floods and floodplain management and make the data and information available to the public, state agencies, political subdivisions, and agencies of the United States; (3) Cooperate and enter into agreements with persons for the preparation of studies and reports on floods and floodplain management; (4) Assist any county, municipal corporation, or state agency in developing comprehensive floodplain management programs; (5) Provide technical assistance to any county, municipal corporation, or state agency through engineering assistance, data collection, preparation of model laws, training, and other activities relating to floodplain management; (6) For the purpose of reducing damages and the threat to life, health, and property in the event of a flood, cooperate with state agencies, political subdivisions, and the United States in the development of flood warning systems, evacuation plans, and flood emergency preparedness plans; (7) Upon request, assist the emergency management agency established by section 5502.22 of the Revised Code in the preparation of flood hazard mitigation reports required as a condition for receiving federal disaster aid under the "Disaster Relief Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 143, 42 U.S.C.A. 5121, as amended, and regulations adopted under it; (8) Adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the administration, implementation, and enforcement of this section and sections 1521.14 and 1521.18 of the Revised Code; (9) Establish, by rule, technical standards for the delineation and mapping of floodplains and for the conduct of engineering studies to determine the vertical and horizontal limits of floodplains and for the assessment of development impacts on flood heights and flood conveyance. The standards established in rules adopted under this division shall be consistent with and no more stringent than the analogous standards established under the national flood insurance program. (10) On behalf of the director of natural resources, administer section 1506.04 of the Revised Code. In addition to the duties imposed in divisions (C)(1) to (10) of this section, and with respect to existing publicly owned facilities that have suffered flood damage or that may be subject to flood damage, the chief may conspicuously mark past and probable flood heights in order to assist in creating public awareness of and knowledge about flood hazards. (D)(1) Development that is funded, financed, undertaken, or preempted by state agencies shall comply with division (A) of this section and with rules adopted under division (C)(9) of this section. (2) State agencies shall apply floodproofing measures in order to reduce potential additional flood damage of existing publicly owned facilities that have suffered flood damage. (3) Before awarding funding or financing or granting a license, permit, or other authorization for a development that is or is to be located within a one-hundred-year floodplain, a state agency shall require the applicant to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the agency that the development will comply with division (A) of this section, rules adopted under division (C)(9) of this section, and any applicable local floodplain management resolution or ordinance. (4) Prior to the disbursement of any state disaster assistance money in connection with any incident of flooding to or within a county or municipal corporation that is not listed by the chief as being in compliance under division (D)(1) of section 1521.18 of the Revised Code, a state agency that has authority to disburse such money shall require the county or municipal corporation to establish or reestablish compliance as provided in that division. (E)(1) Subject to section 1521.18 of the Revised Code, a county or a municipal corporation may do all of the following: (a) Adopt floodplain maps that reflect the best available data and that indicate the areas to be regulated under a floodplain management resolution or ordinance, as applicable; (b) Develop and adopt a floodplain management resolution or ordinance, as applicable; (c) Adopt floodplain management standards that exceed the standards that are established under the national flood insurance program. (2) A county or municipal corporation shall examine and apply, where economically feasible, floodproofing measures in order to reduce potential additional flood damage of existing publicly owned facilities that have suffered flood damage. (3) A county that adopts a floodplain management resolution shall do so in accordance with the procedures established in section 307.37 of the Revised Code. The county may enforce the resolution by issuing stop work orders, seeking injunctive relief, or pursuing other civil actions that the county considers necessary to ensure compliance with the resolution. In addition, failure to comply with the floodplain management resolution constitutes a violation of division (D) of section 307.37 of the Revised Code. (4) No action challenging the validity of a floodplain management resolution adopted by a county or a floodplain management ordinance adopted by a municipal corporation, or an amendment to such a resolution or ordinance, because of a procedural error in the adoption of the resolution, ordinance, or amendment shall be brought more than two years after the adoption of the resolution, ordinance, or amendment.
Section 1521.14 \| Action to enforce national flood insurance program standards. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Upon the written request of the director of natural resources, the attorney general shall bring an action for appropriate relief in a court of competent jurisdiction against any development that is not in compliance with the standards of the national flood insurance program and that is one of the following: (A) Located in a county or municipal corporation that is not listed by the chief of the division of water resources as being in compliance under division (D)(1) of section 1521.18 of the Revised Code; (B) Funded, financed, undertaken, or preempted by a state agency.
Section 1521.15 \| Water resources inventory - long-term water resources plan for Lake Erie drainage basin. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The chief of the division of water resources shall develop and maintain, in cooperation with local, state, federal, and private agencies and entities, a water resources inventory for the collection, interpretation, storage, retrieval, exchange, and dissemination of information concerning the water resources of this state, including, but not limited to, information on the location, type, quantity, and use of those resources and the location, type, and quantity of consumptive use and diversion of the water resources. The water resources inventory also shall include, without limitation, information to assist in determining the reasonableness of water use and sharing under common law, promoting reasonable use and development of water resources, and resolving water use conflicts. All agencies of the state shall cooperate with the chief in the development and maintenance of the inventory. (B) The chief shall cooperate with the other great lakes states and provinces to develop a common base of data regarding the management of the water resources of the Lake Erie drainage basin and to establish systematic arrangements for the exchange of those data.
Section 1521.16 \| Registering facilities capable of withdrawing more than 100,000 gallons a day - rules for ground water stress areas. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) Any person who owns a facility that has the capacity to withdraw waters of the state in an amount greater than one hundred thousand gallons per day from all sources and whose construction is completed before January 1, 1990, shall register the facility by January 1, 1991, with the chief of the division of water resources, and any person who owns a facility that has the capacity to withdraw waters of the state in such an amount and whose construction is completed on or after January 1, 1990, shall register the facility with the chief within three months after the facility is completed. The person shall register the facility using a form prescribed by the chief that shall include, without limitation, the name and address of the registrant and date of registration; the locations and sources of the facility's water supply; the facility's withdrawal capacity per day and the amount withdrawn from each source; the uses made of the water, places of use, and places of discharge; and such other information as the chief may require by rule. The registration date of any facility whose construction was completed prior to January 1, 1990, and that is registered under this division prior to January 1, 1991, shall be January 1, 1990. The registration date of any facility whose construction was completed prior to January 1, 1990, and that is required to register under this division prior to January 1, 1991, but that is not registered prior to that date, and the registration date of any facility whose construction was completed after January 1, 1990, and that is required to register under this division shall be the date on which the registration is received by the chief. (B) In accordance with division (D) of this section, the chief shall adopt rules establishing standards and criteria for determining when an area of ground water is a ground water stress area, the geographic limits of such an area, and a threshold withdrawal capacity for the area below which registration under this division shall not be required. At any time following the adoption of those rules, the chief may by order designate an area of ground water as a ground water stress area and shall establish in any such order a threshold withdrawal capacity for the area below which registration under this division shall not be required. Following the designation of a ground water stress area, the chief immediately shall give notice by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the designated area that shall include a map delineating the designated ground water stress area and a statement of the threshold withdrawal capacity established for the area below which registration under this division shall not be required. The notice shall not appear in the legal notices section of the newspaper. Any person who owns a facility in the designated ground water stress area that is not registered under division (A) of this section and that has the capacity to withdraw waters of the state in an amount greater than the threshold withdrawal capacity for the area from all sources shall register the facility with the chief not later than thirty days after publication of the notice. A person registering a facility under this division shall do so using a form prescribed by the chief. The form shall include the information specified in division (A) of this section. (C) Any person who owns a facility registered under division (A) or (B) of this section shall file a report annually with the chief listing the amount of water withdrawn per day by the facility, the return flow per day, and any other information the chief may require by rule. (D) The chief shall adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to carry out this section. (E)(1) No person knowingly shall fail to register a facility or file a report as required under this section. (2) No person shall file a false registration or report under this section. Violation of division (E)(2) of this section is falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.17 \| Determination of reasonableness of use of water. Effective: July 18, 1990 Latest Legislation: House Bill 476 - 118th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that the determination of the reasonableness of a use of water depends upon a consideration of the interests of the person making the use, of any person harmed by the use, and of society as a whole. (B) In accordance with section 858 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts of the American law institute, all of the following factors shall be considered, without limitation, in determining whether a particular use of water is reasonable: (1) The purpose of the use; (2) The suitability of the use to the watercourse, lake, or aquifer; (3) The economic value of the use; (4) The social value of the use; (5) The extent and amount of the harm it causes; (6) The practicality of avoiding the harm by adjusting the use or method of use of one person or the other; (7) The practicality of adjusting the quantity of water used by each person; (8) The protection of existing values of water uses, land, investments, and enterprises; (9) The justice of requiring the user causing harm to bear the loss. (C) In any determination of reasonable use of water under common law in which prior use is a factor, it shall be conclusive that one use is prior to another in the quantity claimed if the date of registration of one facility providing such use under section 1521.16 of the Revised Code is prior to that of another facility. If a use of water in which prior use is a factor is by means of a facility having the capacity to withdraw one hundred thousand gallons or less of water per day and the facility is not registered under division (B) of that section, prior use shall be based on historic information and documentation provided by any person.
Section 1521.18 \| Floodplain management ordinance or resolution. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) For the purposes of this section, a one-hundred-year floodplain is limited to an area identified as a one-hundred-year floodplain in accordance with the "National Flood Insurance Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 572, 42 U.S.C.A. 4001, as amended. (B) Each municipal corporation or county that has within its boundaries a one-hundred-year floodplain and that adopts a floodplain management ordinance or resolution or any amendments to such an ordinance or resolution on or after April 11, 1991, after adopting the ordinance, resolution, or amendments and before submitting the ordinance, resolution, or amendments to the federal emergency management agency for final approval for compliance with applicable standards adopted under the "National Flood Insurance Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 572, 42 U.S.C.A. 4001, as amended, shall submit the ordinance, resolution, or amendments to the chief of the division of water resources for the chief's review for compliance with those standards. Within forty-five days after receiving any such ordinance, resolution, or amendments, the chief shall complete the review and notify the municipal corporation or county as to whether the ordinance, resolution, or amendments comply with those standards. If the chief finds that the ordinance, resolution, or amendments comply with those standards, the chief shall forward it or them to the federal emergency management agency for final approval. (C)(1) If the chief determines that a county or municipal corporation that has adopted a floodplain management resolution or ordinance fails to administer or enforce the resolution or ordinance, the chief shall send a written notice by certified mail to the board of county commissioners of the county or the chief executive officer of the municipal corporation stating the nature of the noncompliance. (2) In order to maintain its compliance status in accordance with division (D) of this section, a county or municipal corporation that has received a notice of noncompliance under division (C)(1) of this section may submit information to the chief not later than thirty days after receiving the notice that demonstrates compliance or indicates the actions that the county or municipal corporation is taking to administer or enforce the resolution or ordinance. The chief shall review the information and shall issue a final determination by certified mail to the county or municipal corporation of the compliance or noncompliance status of the county or municipal corporation. If the chief issues a final determination of noncompliance, the chief shall send a copy of that determination to the federal emergency management agency concurrently with mailing the notice to the municipal corporation or county. (D)(1) A county or municipal corporation is considered to be in compliance for the purposes of this section if either of the following applies: (a) The county or municipal corporation has adopted a floodplain management resolution or ordinance that the chief has determined complies with applicable standards adopted under the "National Flood Insurance Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 572, 42 U.S.C.A. 4001, as amended, and is adequately administering and enforcing it as determined under division (C) of this section. (b) The county or municipal corporation is participating in the national flood insurance program and has not received a notice of noncompliance under division (B) or (C) of this section. (2) The chief shall maintain a list of all counties and municipal corporations that have one-hundred-year floodplains within their boundaries. The list shall indicate whether each such county or municipal corporation is in compliance or noncompliance as provided in division (D)(1) of this section and whether each such county or municipal corporation is participating in the national flood insurance program. The chief shall provide a copy of the list to the general assembly and all state agencies annually and shall notify the general assembly and the agencies of any changes at least quarterly. (E) Any county or municipal corporation that is adversely affected by any determination of the chief under this section may appeal it in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code not later than thirty days after the final determination.
Section 1521.20 \| Duties of director. Effective: January 1, 2016 Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The director of natural resources shall do all of the following: (1) Determine the amount of dredging that is needed in each inland lake in this state to improve access, water quality, safety, and other applicable standards; (2) Develop a plan to meet the needs identified under division (A)(1) of this section. In doing so, the director shall make every effort to optimize the utilization of dredging resources to maximize the amount of sediment removal from any inland lake that serves a watershed in distress and that is subject to a lake facility authority created under Chapter 353. of the Revised Code. (3) Increase the amount of time and resources expended on the dredging of inland lakes in order to meet the needs identified under division (A)(1) of this section and administer the plan developed under division (A)(2) of this section. (B) The director may enter into contracts or agreements with other entities for the purposes of this section if doing so will assist in maximizing any of the dredging operations.
Section 1521.21 \| Rules. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The chief of the division of water resources shall adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the implementation, administration, and enforcement of sections 1521.21 to 1521.36 of the Revised Code. (B) Sections 1521.21 to 1521.36 of the Revised Code do not affect common law riparian rights.
Section 1521.22 \| Permit for diverting more than 100,000 gallons of water a day from Ohio River watershed. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A)(1) No person shall divert more than one hundred thousand gallons per day of any waters of the state out of the Ohio river watershed to another basin without having a permit to do so issued by the chief of the division of water resources. (2) An application for such a permit shall be filed with the chief upon such forms as the chief prescribes. The application shall state the quantity of water to be diverted, the purpose of the diversion, the life of the project for which the water is to be diverted, and such other information as the chief may require by rule. Each application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of one thousand dollars, which shall be credited to the water management fund, which is hereby created. (B) The chief shall not approve a permit application filed under this section if the chief determines that any of the following applies: (1) During the life of the project for which the water is to be diverted, some or all of the water to be diverted will be needed for use within the Ohio river watershed. (2) The proposed diversion would endanger the public health, safety, or welfare. (3) The applicant has not demonstrated that the proposed diversion is a reasonable and beneficial use and is necessary to serve the applicant's present and future needs. (4) The applicant has not demonstrated that reasonable efforts have been made to develop and conserve water resources in the importing basin and that further development of those resources would engender overriding, adverse economic, social, or environmental impacts. (5) The proposed diversion is inconsistent with regional or state water resources plans. (6) The proposed diversion, alone or in combination with other diversions and water losses, will have a significant adverse impact on in-stream uses or on economic or ecological aspects of water levels. The chief may hold public hearings upon any application for a permit. (C) The chief shall determine the period for which each permit approved under this section will be valid and specify the expiration date, but in no case shall a permit be valid beyond the life of the project as stated in the application. The chief shall establish rules providing for the transfer of permits. A permit may be transferred on the conditions that the quantity of water diverted not be increased and that the purpose of the diversion not be changed. (D)(1) Within a time established by rule, the chief shall do one of the following: (a) Notify the applicant that an application the applicant filed under this section is approved or denied and, if denied, the reason for denial; (b) Notify the applicant of any modification necessary to qualify the application for approval. (2) Any person who receives notice of a denial or modification under division (D)(1) of this section is entitled to a hearing under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code if the person sends a written request for a hearing to the chief within thirty days after the date on which the notice is mailed or otherwise provided to the applicant. (3) The chief shall issue a permit to an applicant whose application is approved under this section. (E) The chief shall revoke a permit under this section without a prior hearing if the chief determines that the quantity of water being diverted exceeds the quantity stated in the permit application. The chief may suspend a permit if the chief determines that the continued diversion of water will endanger the public health, safety, or welfare. Before suspending a permit, the chief shall make a reasonable attempt to notify the permittee that the chief intends to suspend the permit. If the attempt fails, notification shall be given as soon as practicable following the suspension. Within five days after the suspension, the chief shall provide the permittee an opportunity to be heard and to present evidence that the continued diversion of water will not endanger the public health, safety, or welfare. If the chief determines before the expiration date of a suspended permit that the diversion of water can be resumed without danger to the public health, safety, or welfare, the chief shall, upon request of the permittee, reinstate the permit. (F) Any six or more residents of this state may petition the chief for an investigation of a withdrawal of water resources that they allege is in violation of a permit issued under this section. The petition shall identify the permittee and detail the reasons why the petitioners believe that grounds exist for the revocation or suspension of the permit under this section. Upon receipt of the petition, the chief shall send a copy to the permittee and, within sixty days, make a determination whether grounds exist for revocation or suspension of the permit under this section. (G) Each permittee shall submit to the chief an annual report containing such information as the chief may require by rule.
Section 1521.23 \| Applying for permit for major increase in withdrawal of waters of state. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) Except as provided in divisions (D) and (E) of this section, no person shall allow a facility that the person owns or operates to withdraw waters of the state in an amount that would result in a new or increased consumptive use of more than an average of two million gallons of water per day in any thirty-day period without first obtaining a permit from the chief of the division of water resources under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code. (B) Prior to developing a new or increased withdrawal or consumptive use capacity that would facilitate a withdrawal requiring a permit under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code, an owner or operator of a facility shall submit an application for a permit to the chief on a form the chief prescribes. The applicant shall declare and document all of the following in the application: (1) The facility's current withdrawal capacity per day if the withdrawal is to occur at a facility already in operation; (2) The total new or increased daily withdrawal capacity proposed for the facility; (3) The locations and sources of water proposed to be withdrawn; (4) The locations of proposed discharges or return flows; (5) The locations and nature of proposed consumptive uses; (6) The estimated average annual and monthly volumes and rates of withdrawal; (7) The estimated average annual and monthly volumes and rates of consumptive use; (8) The effects the withdrawal is anticipated to have with respect to existing uses of water resources; (9) A description of other ways the applicant's need for water may be satisfied if the application is denied or modified; (10) A description of the conservation practices the applicant intends to follow; (11) All information required under sections 1521.24 to 1521.27 of the Revised Code if the sources of water for the proposed withdrawal are ground water; (12) Any other information the chief may require by rule. (C) Each application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of one thousand dollars, which shall be credited to the water management fund created under section 1521.22 of the Revised Code. (D) A major utility facility that is subject to regulation under Chapter 4906. of the Revised Code, a facility that is subject to regulation under Chapter 1514. of the Revised Code, or a facility that is required to obtain a permit under sections 1522.10 to 1522.30 of the Revised Code need not obtain a permit under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code. (E) A public water system, as defined in section 6109.01 of the Revised Code, that withdraws waters of the state in an amount that would result in a new or increased consumptive use of more than two million gallons per day need not obtain a permit under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code if one of the following applies: (1) The public water system was in operation on June 29, 1988, and no substantial changes in the design capacity are proposed for that system. (2) A public water system that is proposed to be constructed or installed, or an existing system for which changes are proposed, encompasses only water distribution facilities.
Section 1521.231 \| Consultation on application for major increase in withdrawal of waters with other Great Lakes states and provinces and international commission. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Whenever any person submits an application under section 1521.23 of the Revised Code to withdraw water from the Lake Erie drainage basin that would result in a new or increased consumptive use totaling more than five million gallons per day, the chief of the division of water resources shall notify the governors and premiers of the other great lakes states and provinces, the appropriate water management agencies of those states and provinces, and, when appropriate, the international joint commission and shall solicit their comments and concerns regarding the application. In the event of an objection to the proposed consumptive use, the chief shall consult with the affected great lakes states and provinces to consider the issues involved and seek mutually agreeable recommendations. Before rendering a decision on the permit application, the chief shall consider the concerns, comments, and recommendations of the other great lakes states and provinces and the international joint commission.
Section 1521.24 \| Form for proposal to withdraw ground water. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Along with an application for a permit submitted under section 1521.23 of the Revised Code, an applicant that proposes to withdraw ground water shall submit data in a form prescribed by the chief of the division of water resources that includes all of the following: (A) A hydrologic map consisting of a single map using the most recent USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps at a scale of 1:24,000 as a base or other approved format that shows all of the information described in section 1521.25 of the Revised Code; (B) A hydrogeologic description in sufficient detail to determine the cone of depression for the proposed withdrawal that includes all of the information described in section 1521.26 of the Revised Code; (C) A steady state ground water model that defines the projected cone of depression for the proposed withdrawal that complies with section 1521.27 of the Revised Code; (D) Alternative water supply information that includes an analysis of the availability and suitability of alternative water supply sources that will be utilized to fulfill the water supply replacement provisions of section 1521.35 of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.25 \| Notations on hydrologic map. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF An applicant shall show all of the following on the hydrologic map required under division (A) of section 1521.24 of the Revised Code: (A) The proposed withdrawal area; (B) The hydrologic study area; (C) A line delineating the location of the cross sections required under division (E) of section 1521.26 of the Revised Code; (D) The location of and assigned identification number for the selected water supply wells identified in division (D) of section 1521.26 of the Revised Code and all other water sources used for domestic, agricultural, or industrial use within the proposed withdrawal area and hydrologic study area; (E) The location of any well, well field, reservoir, river, and water source not identified under division (D) of this section on or within the hydrologic study area that is used for a public water supply and the location of any facility registered under section 1521.16 of the Revised Code on or within the hydrologic study area; (F) Any additional information that the chief of the division of water resources may require based on site-specific conditions.
Section 1521.26 \| Accompanying documentation with hydrogeologic description. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF An applicant shall include all of the following with the hydrogeologic description required under division (B) of section 1521.24 of the Revised Code: (A) A detailed description of the geology within the proposed withdrawal and hydrologic study area down to the lowest level of any aquifer from which water is proposed to be withdrawn. The description must include the areal and structural geology of the withdrawal and hydrologic study area, and any other parameter that may affect the occurrence, availability, movement, or quantity of potentially affected ground waters. The description must be based on information available to the applicant from test borings, core drillings, well logs, and geologic literature and practices. (B) Information related to the ground water hydrology for the proposed withdrawal and hydrologic study area including, at a minimum, all of the following: (1) The elevation and the lateral extent of each aquifer, interbedded lithology, and overburden material; (2) The thickness of each aquifer and a detailed lithologic description from surface to base of the deepest aquifer, noting any changes in lithology over distance; (3) Known uses of and withdrawals from the water in each aquifer; (4) The transmissivity of each aquifer; (5) The storativity of each aquifer; (6) The hydraulic conductivity of each aquifer; (7) The specific yield of each unconfined aquifer; (8) The rate of discharge of any currently registered water withdrawals shown pursuant to division (E) of section 1521.25 of the Revised Code. (C) A listing of the published information and data, and copies of the unpublished records and data, used in preparation of the items in divisions (A) and (B) of this section, including core descriptions, cuttings descriptions, stratigraphic descriptions, and pump or slug test records; (D) A water supply inventory representing all aquifers submitted in a format prescribed by the chief of the division of water resources that, at a minimum, includes all of the following: (1) All of the existing water wells within the study area if there are fewer than one hundred wells. If there are more than one hundred wells within the study area, the inventory must include one hundred wells plus twenty-five per cent of those wells in excess of one hundred, but shall not exceed a total of three hundred wells. (2) A listing of water sources in the proposed withdrawal and hydrologic study area as shown pursuant to divisions (D) and (E) of section 1521.25 of the Revised Code. Such water sources must include the most recently drilled wells, represent all aquifers and producing zones within the aquifers, and reflect a uniform geographical distribution of wells within the study area. The listing must include, to the extent available, all of the following for each well: (a) The map identification number listed under division (D) of section 1521.25 of the Revised Code; (b) The department of natural resources, division of water resources number assigned to the log form required to be filed under section 1521.05 of the Revised Code; (c) The township in which each well is located; (d) The year the well was drilled; (e) The latitude and longitude in NAD 83 of the well; (f) The surface elevation of the well in feet; (g) The total depth of the well in feet below the land surface; (h) The depth to bedrock in feet; (i) A description of unconsolidated material; (j) The static water level of the well in feet below the land surface; (k) The casing length in feet; (l) The lithology of the screen interval/open borehole; (m) The length of any well screen in feet; (n) The test rate in gallons per minute; (o) The duration of the test; (p) The drawdown in feet. (3) A listing of the location and type of any public water supply sources within the withdrawal and hydrologic study area; (4) A copy of the division of water resources well logs for the wells listed in division (D) of this section. Prior to submission of an application, an applicant may submit a request in writing to the chief to reduce the number or extent of the submittals required in division (D) of this section. The chief may grant the request only if the chief makes a written determination that this reduction will not diminish the level of accuracy in the ground water model. If the chief grants a reduction, the written request and determination shall be submitted with the permit application. If information required in the water supply inventory is unobtainable, the applicant shall submit a statement to that effect, giving the reasons therefor. (E) A minimum of two perpendicular hydrogeologic cross sections of the same scale for the hydrologic study area based on available information. Such cross sections must be of uniform horizontal and uniform vertical scale, depict the information required in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section, intersect the center of the proposed withdrawal, and include the data points used to construct the cross section. (F) Any other information the chief may require. For purposes of the hydrogeologic description and to establish pre-pumping water level conditions, the chief may require the applicant to monitor water levels from each aquifer from which water is proposed to be withdrawn. The applicant shall conduct such monitoring via the wells listed in division (D) of this section or new monitoring wells drilled by the applicant. The chief also may require pre-pumping tests.
Section 1521.27 \| Steady state ground water model. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) An applicant shall ensure that both of the following apply to the steady state ground water model required under division (C) of section 1521.24 of the Revised Code: (1) It accurately reflects the ground water flow conditions associated with the hydrologic study area and is consistent with American society for testing and materials international standards. (2) It is in the form of a three-dimensional ground water flow model utilizing finite difference modeling software or other modeling software acceptable to the chief of the division of water resources. (B) The applicant shall submit the model results in a format prescribed by the chief. The applicant shall include detailed explanations of the hydrologic and geologic parameters used to construct the model, including all of the following: (1) The saturated thickness of each aquifer; (2) The elevation of the static water level or potentiometric surface of each aquifer; (3) Whether each aquifer is confined or unconfined; (4) The pumping water level elevation at steady state conditions.
Section 1521.28 \| Establishment of geographic area. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The chief of the division of water resources shall use the data submitted under sections 1521.24 to 1521.27 of the Revised Code to establish the geographic area defined by the ten-foot contour line of the projected cone of depression for any approved application for the withdrawal of ground water. However, the chief may designate a different contour line based upon water resource availability, seasonal variations, other water users in the hydrologic study area, or other ground water data available.
Section 1521.29 \| Determinations for application approval. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The chief of the division of water resources shall not approve an application submitted under section 1521.23 of the Revised Code if the chief determines that any of the following criteria apply: (1) Public water rights in navigable waters will be adversely affected; (2) The facility's current consumptive use, if any, does not incorporate maximum feasible conservation practices as determined by the chief, considering available technology and the nature and economics of the various alternatives; (3) The proposed plans for the withdrawal, transportation, development, and consumptive use of water resources do not incorporate maximum feasible conservation practices as determined by the chief, considering available technology and the nature and economics of the various alternatives; (4) The proposed withdrawal and consumptive uses do not reasonably promote the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare; (5) The proposed withdrawal will have a significant detrimental effect on the quantity or quality of water resources and related land resources in this state, including a significant lowering of the water level within or the overdrafting of an aquifer; (6) The proposed withdrawal is inconsistent with regional or state water resources plans; (7) Insufficient water is available for the withdrawal and other existing legal uses of water resources are not adequately protected; (8) A significant diminution will occur in the amount of water available to existing wells or an interruption of existing ground water usage will occur within the geographic area established by the chief pursuant to section 1521.28 of the Revised Code without a suitable replacement water supply source; (9) A withdrawal or consumptive use will cause irreparable material damage to an aquifer such that the aquifer may no longer yield the amount of water it did before the withdrawal or consumptive use proposed in the application. (B) The chief may hold public hearings upon any application for a permit submitted under section 1521.23 of the Revised Code. The chief shall determine the period for which each permit approved under this section will be valid and specify the expiration date, but in no case shall a permit be valid beyond the life of the project as stated in the application. (C)(1) Within ninety days of receiving a complete application, the chief shall do one of the following: (a) Notify the applicant that the applicant's application submitted under section 1521.23 of the Revised Code is approved or denied and, if denied, the reason for denial; (b) Notify the applicant of any modification necessary to qualify the application for approval. (2) Any person who receives notice of a denial or modification under this division is entitled to a hearing under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code if the person sends a written request for a hearing to the chief within thirty days after the date on which the notice is mailed or otherwise provided to the applicant. (D) The chief shall issue a permit to an applicant whose application is approved under this section.
Section 1521.30 \| Annual report. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) With regard to a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code, the permittee shall submit to the chief of the division of water resources an annual report containing any information as the chief shall require by rule. (B) If the facility for which a permit has been issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code withdraws ground water, the chief may require the continued monitoring and reporting of water levels in each aquifer via existing wells or new monitoring wells drilled by the permittee. (C) With regard to a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code, the permittee, at least once every five years, shall certify to the chief that the facility for which the permit has been issued is in compliance with the permit. (D) The chief shall adopt rules for the transfer of permits issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code. The chief may allow a permit to be transferred on the condition that the quantity of water withdrawn not be increased and that the purposes of the withdrawal not be changed.
Section 1521.31 \| Submission of revised ground water model. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The chief of the division of water resources may require a permittee that has been issued a permit under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code to decrease its withdrawal and submit a revised ground water model under section 1521.27 of the Revised Code if either of the following applies: (1) The permittee's reported ground water monitoring data conflicts with the permittee's ground water model. (2) The results of the division of water resources' investigation of any written complaint under section 1521.36 of the Revised Code indicate that the permittee's withdrawal caused the diminution or interruption of a person's water supply. (B) If so required under division (A) of this section, the permittee shall submit the revised ground water modeling using additional data that reflects the permittee's impact on ground water. Based upon the revised ground water modeling and additional data, the chief may amend the permit to decrease the withdrawal or establish a revised projected cone of depression. (C) A permittee may request the chief to amend a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code when another ground water user affects or has the potential to affect the projected cone of depression. The permittee shall submit with the request a revised ground water model using additional data that reflects the other ground water user's impact on ground water. Based on the revised ground water model and additional data, the chief may establish a revised projected cone of depression and amend the permit accordingly.
Section 1521.32 \| Suspension of permit. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) The chief may suspend a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code pursuant to an adjudication conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code if the chief determines one of the following: (1) That the continued withdrawal or consumptive use of water under the permit will endanger the public health, safety, or welfare; (2) That the withdrawal or consumptive use of water will result in a significant lowering of the water level within an aquifer, the overdrafting of an aquifer, or the imminent threat of irreparable material damage to an aquifer such that the aquifer will no longer yield the amount of water it did before the withdrawal or consumptive use. (B) Before suspending a permit, the chief shall make a reasonable attempt to notify the permittee that the chief intends to suspend the permit. If the attempt fails, notification shall be given as soon as practicable following the suspension. (C) Within five days after the suspension, the chief shall provide the permittee an opportunity for a hearing. At the hearing the permittee may present evidence that the continued withdrawal or consumptive use of water is warranted because the reasons for suspension specified in division (A) of this section do not apply. (D) Prior to the expiration of a suspended permit, a permittee may request the chief to amend the suspended permit. The chief may amend the permit and allow the withdrawal or consumptive use of water under it to be resumed if the chief determines that, under the amended permit, the reasons for suspension specified in division (A) of this section will no longer apply. (E)(1) Any six or more residents of this state may petition the chief for an investigation of a withdrawal of water resources that they allege is in violation of a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code. (2) In the petition, the petitioners shall identify the permittee and detail the reasons why the petitioners believe that grounds exist for the suspension of the permit under this section or the revocation of the permit under section 1521.33 of the Revised Code. (3) Upon receipt of the petition, the chief shall send a copy to the permittee and, within sixty days, make a determination whether grounds exist for suspension of the permit under this section or revocation of the permit under section 1521.33 of the Revised Code.
Section 1521.33 \| Revocation of permit. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The chief may revoke a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code pursuant to an adjudication conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code if one of the following applies: (A) The continued withdrawal or consumptive use of water under the permit will endanger the public health, safety, or welfare. (B) The withdrawal or consumptive use of water will result in a significant lowering of the water level within an aquifer, the overdrafting of an aquifer, or the imminent threat of irreparable material damage to an aquifer such that the aquifer will no longer yield the amount of water it did before the withdrawal or consumptive use. (C) The permittee has violated, is violating, or is threatening to violate any provision in sections 1521.23 to 1521.36 of the Revised Code, rules adopted under those sections, or a permit or order issued under those sections.
Section 1521.34 \| Notice to public water system permittee. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) For purposes of this section, "public water system" has the same meaning as in section 6109.01 of the Revised Code. (B) The chief shall provide written notice to the director of environmental protection and the permittee at least ten business days prior to requiring a permittee that is a public water system to decrease its withdrawal, or prior to revoking, suspending, or amending the public water system's permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this section affects a public water system's obligation to comply with Chapter 6109. of the Revised Code and the rules adopted under it.
Section 1521.35 \| Owners within geographic area; diminution or interruption water supply; complaint. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) An owner of real property that is located within the geographic area established under section 1521.28 of the Revised Code with respect to a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code may submit a written complaint to the permittee or to the chief of the division of water resources informing the permittee or the chief that there is a diminution or interruption of the owner's water supply if both of the following apply: (1) The owner obtains all or part of the owner's water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, or other legitimate use from ground water. (2) There is a diminution or interruption of that water supply. The owner shall include in the complaint the owner's name, address, and telephone number. (B) If the chief receives a written complaint submitted in accordance with division (A) of this section, upon receipt the chief shall send a copy of the complaint to the permittee, and the permittee shall immediately respond by sending the chief a statement that explains how the permittee resolved or will resolve the complaint. If the permittee receives the written complaint in accordance with division (A) of this section, the permittee shall send a copy of the complaint, within fourteen days after receiving the complaint, to the chief and include a statement that explains how the permittee resolved or will resolve the complaint. Nothing in this section relieves a permittee from performing the duties specified in division (C) of this section. (C) Not later than seventy-two hours after the permittee receives the complaint and if the complaint is not resolved as verified by the chief, the permittee shall provide the owner with a supply of water that is comparable to the owner's water supply prior to the diminution or interruption of the owner's water supply. The chief shall approve the method of providing the water supply. The permittee shall maintain that water supply unless the chief determines that the permittee has rebutted the presumption established in division (D) of this section. (D) A rebuttable presumption exists that the withdrawal by the permittee caused the diminution or interruption of the owner's water supply. However, not later than fourteen days after receipt of the complaint, the permittee may submit to the chief information showing that the permittee is not the proximate cause of the diminution or interruption of the owner's water supply. The chief shall evaluate the information submitted by the permittee to determine if the presumption is rebutted. (E) If the permittee fails to rebut the presumption, the chief shall notify the permittee and the owner in writing that the permittee failed to rebut the presumption. (F) If the permittee rebuts the presumption, the chief shall notify the permittee and the owner that the permittee rebutted the presumption. Upon receipt of that notice, the permittee may cease providing a supply of water to the owner under division (C) of this section. (G) If, within fourteen days after receipt of the complaint, the permittee fails to submit to the chief information showing that the withdrawal is not the proximate cause of the diminution or interruption of the owner's water supply, such failure shall be considered a failure to rebut the presumption.
Section 1521.36 \| Owners outside geographic area; complaint. Effective: October 17, 2019 Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) An owner of real property that is located outside the geographic area established under section 1521.28 of the Revised Code with respect to a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code may submit a written complaint to the permittee or to the chief of the division of water resources if both of the following apply: (1) The owner obtains all or part of the owner's water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, or other legitimate use from ground water. (2) There is a diminution or interruption of that water supply. The owner shall include in the complaint the owner's name, address, and telephone number. (B) If the chief receives the written complaint submitted under division (A) of this section, upon receipt the chief shall send the permittee a copy of the complaint. If the permittee receives the written complaint, upon receipt the permittee shall send the chief a copy of the complaint. (C) The chief shall investigate the complaint. Upon completion of the investigation, the chief shall send the results of the investigation to the permittee and to the owner that submitted the complaint. (D) The owner that submitted the complaint may resolve the diminution or interruption of the owner's water supply with the permittee or may commence a civil action for that purpose.
Section 1521.40 \| Violation; remedies. Effective: September 30, 2021 Latest Legislation: House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) No person shall violate any provision of this chapter, any rule or order adopted or issued under it, or any term or condition of a permit issued under it. (B) The attorney general, upon written request of the chief of the division of water resources, shall bring an action for an injunction or other appropriate legal or equitable action against any person who has violated, is violating, or is threatening to violate any provision of this chapter, any rule or order adopted or issued under it, or any term or condition of a permit issued under it. (C) A person who violates any provision of this chapter, any rule or order adopted or issued under it, or any term or condition of a permit issued under it is liable to the chief for any costs incurred by the division of water resources in investigating, mitigating, minimizing, removing, or abating the violation and conditions caused by it. The chief also may assess a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars per day for each day a violation occurs of any provision of this chapter, any rule or order adopted or issued under it, or any term or condition of a permit issued under it. (D) Upon the request of the chief, the attorney general shall bring a civil action against the responsible person to recover those costs and civil penalties in the court of common pleas of Franklin county. Money recovered under this division for violations of sections 1521.06 to 1521.063 of the Revised Code, any rule or order adopted or issued under those sections, or any term or condition of a permit issued under those sections shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the dam safety fund created in section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. Money recovered under this division for violations of sections 1521.16 and 1521.22 to 1521.35 of the Revised Code, any rule or order adopted or issued under those sections, or any term or condition of a permit issued under those sections shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the water management fund created in section 1521.22 of the Revised Code. Last updated August 4, 2021 at 3:03 PM
Section 1521.99 \| Penalty. Effective: September 30, 2021 Latest Legislation: House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) Whoever violates division (E)(1) of section 1521.05 or division (E)(1) of section 1521.16 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. All fines collected pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the water management fund created in section 1521.22 of the Revised Code. (B) Whoever violates section 1521.06 or 1521.062 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars for each offense. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense. All fines collected pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the dam safety fund created in section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. (C) Whoever violates section 1521.22 of the Revised Code or the terms or conditions of a permit issued under that section shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars for each day of violation. All fines collected pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the water management fund created in section 1521.22 of the Revised Code. (D) Whoever violates section 1521.23 of the Revised Code or the terms or conditions of a permit issued under section 1521.29 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. All fines collected pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the water management fund created in section 1521.22 of the Revised Code. Last updated August 4, 2021 at 3:06 PM