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BG proactively implements new ways to make sure drinking water stays safe

While it was not affected by the 2014 water crisis, the city of Bowling Green has been proactive implementing new ways to ensure drinking water is safer today.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Five years have passed since the water crisis hit our region.

While it was not affected by the 2014 water crisis, the city of Bowling Green has been proactive implementing new ways to ensure drinking water is safer today.  

We sat down and had a straightforward with the city of Bowling Green’s utilities director, Brian O'Connell. 

He has held that position since 2011, so he’s witnessed how everything operated before, during and after this crisis. O'Connell explained what’s changed for Bowling Green.  

The city has its own water treatment plant that taps into the Maumee River, versus getting its water the middle of Lake Erie.

Even though its water origin was different from Toledo's, Bowling Green neighbors and leaders were still concerned back in 2014, O'Connell said.

" I had lots of calls that day, (saying) 'You know what's happening with our water?' 'Is it safe?' 'Are we OK?'" O'Connell recalled. 

Bowling Green was not affected by the crisis, but that did not stop them from taking precautions moving forward. In short, BG treats their water differently than Toledo does, O'Connell said.

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Toledo applies a certain rate of carbon based off the amount of water its plant is treating. Bowling Green's treatment facility works more like a large filter.

Before the water crisis, Bowling Green had 12 large carbon filters. The BG treatment plant would replace six of those per year. Now, BG replaces all 12. Although it means double the money, city leaders feel it's worth it in the long run. 

"We didn’t know - or didn't have good data - to say we shouldn't be doing that, and no one wants to take the risk of not changing out the process that is going to keep you out of that situation," O'Connell said. 

Leaders also began monitoring the Maumee River more closely for conservation efforts. Now when the river is at its best quality, the water treatment plant pumps water into its reservoir. That reservoir supplies nearly 45 days worth of well water, in case of a crisis. 

Things have not just changed for those monitoring the water, but also for farmers. Paul Herringshaw has been a farmer in Bowling Green for more than 30 years. He says the big changes really started in response to the 2011 algal bloom. But 2014 was also a year where he made some adjustments. 

"Some of (the changes) include the cover crops ... which is something that's growing over the winter months and helping to tie up the nutrients to not go into the waterways," Herringshaw said. 

Herringshaw's son is also a farmer. Although the younger Herringshaw was not a farmer during the 2014 crisis, he thinks his generation of farmers takes the environment very seriously.  

"There's definitely a different perspective even particularly from my generation! Just being younger there's a lot of awareness of a lot of things going on in society as a whole looking at the environment, and the water crisis has really amplified it," Paul's son said. 

Right now, many local suburbs are looking closely at Bowling Green’s water facility. Toledo is set to raise its water rates and tapping into Bowling Green is a potential option for many. No concrete decisions have been made yet.

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