Bill introduced today in Senate

Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are asking lawmakers to approve additional steps to help ensure clean water.

Senate Bill 333 was introduced today with a host of changes that officials said will �protect Ohioans from acute threats to water quality, such as lead in drinking water systems or private water system owners who do not provide a dependable or safe water supply.�

House Bill 512, which is awaiting a Senate vote, is the main legislation authorizing changes to better detect, alert and fix problems with water systems facing lead contamination.

The bill introduced today would allow the EPA to require the owners of private water systems, such as in mobile home parks, to post bonds or letters of credit to ensure that money needed for repairs is available, said EPA spokeswoman Heidi Griesmer.

The measure also would permit regulators to require public water utilities to prove that they are properly maintaining their systems and have maintenance plans to prevent future problems, she said.

Other language in the bill would strengthen the state commitment to reducing algae-causing phosphorus in Lake Erie, align certain state laws with federal EPA standards, regulate sites where construction and demolition debris is stored and upgrade the state�s ability to clean up abandoned landfills.