Welcome to the City of Akron Water Supply Bureau
Ohio Department of Health Recommends Water Supply Flushing for Reopening of Buildings Under Statewide COVID-19 Transition Plan
Akron, Ohio, May 7, 2020 – In accordance with Ohio’s statewide transition plan announced April 27, 2020, and as buildings re-open that have had little to no water usage during the Stay-at-Home Order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that Ohio Department of Health recommendations to flush water that has been stagnant in both cold- and hot-water distribution lines and fixtures are followed.
As buildings reopen, it is critical to drain, flush, and if necessary based on a review of building conditions, disinfect the hot and cold-water systems to remove harmful contaminants. Devices that store water, such as drinking water fountains, water heaters, storage tanks, and any droplet or mist-forming devices such as cooling towers, humidifiers, showerheads, and certain medical and manufacturing devices and process equipment should also be flushed and disinfected in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations or industry best practices.
The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency have issued “Guidance for Premise Plumbing Water Service Restoration.”
Please note that this guidance applies to the water systems of all types of buildings that are unoccupied or partially occupied during the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to office buildings, manufacturing facilities, medical offices (e.g., physician and dentist offices, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient centers, etc.), government facilities, and religious institutions. If you are a tenant of a building, we recommend that you share this information with the building owner, building manager, or management company and ask them to consider taking these precautions.
For further information please visit the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio EPA Websites at https://odh.ohio.gov and https://www.epa.state.oh.us/
Additional Guidance Documents can be found at the links below:
A Note to City of Akron Water Customers about the Coronavirus State of Emergency
Serving you is the City of Akron Water’s top priority. We are a 24/7 operation, and always will be — even in times of uncertainty such as these. Here are some things we want you to know about how we are supporting our customers during the pandemic.
We will not shut off your service for nonpayment.
People rely on us to meet critical needs, and they should not have to worry about losing service during this critical time. We have suspended all service disconnections as individuals, families, businesses and communities pull together to meet our collective needs. We know the communities we serve rely on us to provide an essential service. We remain committed to providing reliable water service 24-7.
We are reconnecting residential customers whose services were shut off.
If your service was previously shut off for nonpayment and you need reconnection due to your current circumstances please email us at [email protected] or www.akronohio.gov/311 and we will work with you to restore your service.
We are significantly reducing home entries and taking extra precautions.
Only in a very limited number of situations will there be a need for Akron Water employees to enter a customer’s home to maintain a water meter. When entering, Akron Water staff will wear rubber gloves and special protective gear. You can assist by maintaining separation from our employees to reinforce social distancing practices.
We are here to help.
We have a variety of options to make payments and manage your account, including online bill payment; payment by mail, credit card, or debit card; and automatic bank draft. We encourage you to use our online digital tools and automated phone options. www.akronohio.gov/ubo or (330) 375-2554.
We will continue to respond to emergencies.
Our employees are still hard at work. If you lose water service or have an emergency, you can report water emergencies to us by calling us at (330) 375-2420 or www.akronohio.gov/311
We will continue to safeguard your tap water from Covid-19.
One of the Akron Water Treatment Plants main functions is to remove pathogens, including viruses through disinfection. Coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, is a type of virus that is particularly susceptible to disinfection. Standard treatment and disinfectant processes used by Akron Water and most other water treatment plants are expected to be effective.
More information on Coronavirus and Drinking water can be found in the links from the EPA and CDC below.
https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html
As circumstances surrounding the pandemic change, we are evaluating the measures we have put in place and carefully weighing further steps. We are coordinating our response with federal, state, and local officials and following the guidance of Ohio EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and other agencies.
About Us
The drinking Water Supply Bureau consists of 3 divisions which provides watershed protection, drinking water treatment and drinking water distribution to the citizens and businesses of Akron as well as many neighboring communities. Each division is listed below along with a brief description of their responsibilities. Click on the name of each division to learn more.
- Source water quality protection and security
- Management of four raw water reservoirs and nearly 20,000 acres of City owned property
- Administration of limited recreational programs
- Public education programs focused on watershed protection
- Implementation of an EPA approved Watershed Control Program
- Operation and maintenance of a Ohio EPA Class IV drinking water treatment facility
- Regulatory compliance responsibilities including an on-site certified laboratory
- Public education programs focused on water treatment
- Current and past Consumer Confident Reports
- Operation and maintenance of a more than 1,200 mile water distribution system serving approximately 300,000 customers
- Operation and maintenance of multiple pump stations, finished water holding reservoirs, elevated tanks and standpipes.
- Industrial and residential meter reading and backflow protection.
Click here for the latest news pertaining to Akron Water
Click here for Account Services and online bill payment information
Click here to contact us for more information
Important Information About Lead and Corrosion Control
Interactive Map of Service Pipe Material
2019 Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report
The 2019 CCR is available at www.akronohio.gov/water/ccr. This report has information about the source and quality of your drinking water. A paper copy is available upon request by calling: (330) 375-2748. Previous Reports are available at www.akronohio.gov/cms/Water/Consumer_Reports/index.html.
Additional Resources
- American Water Works Association
- Ohio AWWA
- Ohio EPA Drinking Water
- US EPA Drinking Water
- The History of Akron Water Supply
- 100 Years of Fresh, Clean Akron Water
- AWS Rules & Regulations
- AWS Standard Drawings
Our Mission
To deliver to the public an ample supply of high quality water that exceeds all regulatory requirements now and in the future.
