(Bryan, OH) The Williams County water war is escalating, as Toledo suburbs seek access to an aquifer.
Even township trustees in rural Williams County are sounding off on an alternative plan to a regional water authority in Northwest Ohio. Since the Toledo water talks broke down, Perrysburg, Sylvania, and other suburban communities in Henry, Fulton, Wood and Lucas counties want to study whether an aquifer runs deep enough to supply their cities with drinking water.
That prompted packed meetrings and a backlash from Bryan, Montpelier, and Edon. Even trustees in tiny Superior Township oppose the possibility of delivering water to customers outside of Williams County.
Those suburbs want to hire Artesian of Pioneer to test drill the Michindoh Aquifer, which stretches more than two million acres across nine counties in three states, providing water to about 400,000 people.
There are those who believe the aquifer has the untapped potential to provide another 8 to 10 million gallons of water daily for the next 40 years to as many as eight or nine other communities. But opponents don't want to see their drinking water supply dry up.