Behind the Tap
A Northeast Ohio Water Investigation. We're not starting with an answer. We're starting with a question.
What's really in the water we drink? We're following Northeast Ohio's drinking water from Lake Erie and groundwater sources, through treatment plants and distribution systems, through aging service lines and household plumbing, and ultimately to the kitchen faucet. Cleveland Water's treatment plants may be doing their job. The real question is what happens after the water leaves them — and whether the gap between compliance and safety is something we can measure.
What We Found.
Lead exposure is primarily an infrastructure and property-level issue. Cleveland Water's latest compliance monitoring found 90% of sampled homes below 3.15 ppb — but lead service lines and lead plumbing remain in its service territory. How many families are still drinking through them, and how fast are they being replaced?
PFAS may be less of a Cleveland Water story than people expect. Cleveland Water's 2025 Water Quality Report documents 646 tests across 29 PFAS compounds at four treatment plants — with none detected. That's a finding worth reporting. It also raises a better question: are there smaller Northeast Ohio systems or private wells where results differ?
Lake Erie is under significant environmental pressure. EPA data shows the western basin remains highly eutrophic, phosphorus targets have not been consistently achieved, and harmful algal blooms continue. Cleveland draws from the central basin — but it's the same interconnected lake.
Private wells in Northeast Ohio may be a serious underreported risk. A peer-reviewed study of 180 private wells in two Northeast Ohio counties found total coliform bacteria in 45% of samples, generic E. coli in 9%, and E. coli O157:H7 DNA in 4%. The study sampled in 2009. What would we find if we repeated that testing in 2026?
We Show Our Work.
Cleveland Water's latest annual report documenting treatment plant performance, lead compliance monitoring results, PFAS testing across 29 compounds, and cyanotoxin monitoring since 2010.
EPA Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement data on Lake Erie nutrient levels, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and the western basin's eutrophication status.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District routinely samples 15 Lake Erie shoreline locations and 75 sites across 18 streams, analyzing 30+ chemical and biological parameters.
A peer-reviewed study of 180 private wells in two Northeast Ohio counties. Total coliform found in 45% of samples. The study is older — which is exactly why it justifies original 2026 testing.
Our own field study: testing water inside Northeast Ohio homes before and after filtration installation, across a range of housing ages, water sources, and neighborhoods.
Every document. Every dataset. Every source.
How We Got Here.
Investigation launched. Focus: the gap between treatment plant compliance and what actually reaches the tap.
Cleveland Water releases 2025 Water Quality Report. 646 PFAS tests, none detected. Lead compliance monitoring shows 90th percentile at 3.15 ppb. We start reading the fine print.
EPA Lake Erie data reviewed. Western basin eutrophication ongoing. Phosphorus targets not consistently met. HAB and cyanotoxin risk documented at the source.
20 Homes Cleaner Water Project launched. Household water testing begins — lead, copper, bacteria, manganese, nitrates, and more — before any filtration is installed.
Investigation published. Findings ongoing. Private well testing study in development.
Compliance at the Plant Doesn't Mean Safety at the Tap
The water leaving Cleveland's treatment plants may meet every federal standard. What happens inside the pipes between the plant and your glass is a different question — and one worth asking.
The Toxin Is in the Lake. Why Isn't It in the Water?
Harmful algal blooms produce cyanotoxins in Lake Erie. Cleveland Water says it hasn't detected them in finished drinking water since monitoring began in 2010. We want to find out exactly what stands between a bloom and someone's faucet.
What Would We Find in Northeast Ohio's Private Wells Today?
A 2009 study found coliform bacteria in 45% of private wells in two Northeast Ohio counties. That study is old enough to justify a question: what would we find if we repeated it now?
Know Something We Don't?
If you work in water utilities, municipal government, environmental regulation, or public health — or if you've had problems with your water — we want to hear from you. Your identity is protected.
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