Ex-water operator charged over lead in Ohio village's taps

SEBRING, Ohio (AP) — State officials on Wednesday charged a former village water plant operator with waiting too long to notify residents after tests showed high levels of lead in their drinking water.

The scrutiny into what happened has already led the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to fire two employees and spurred a change in state law that speeds up the notification when lead is detected in tap water.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a new law in June that requires public water systems to alert residents within two days after lead is found at the tap — a much quicker notification than current federal rules that give water plants two months to notify all residents.