(DAYTON, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Craig W. Butler today announced a lawsuit and a motion for a temporary restraining order against Pineview Pines Estates and its owner for numerous violations of Ohio’s safe drinking water laws, which left residents without drinking water on several occasions.
In the motion for a temporary restraining order, the state asks the court to require the Dayton-area mobile home park and its owner, Tim Dearwester, to provide at least four gallons of water per day to each Pineview resident, to hire an engineer to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Pineview’s water system, to maintain a back-up supply of water for residents, and to provide effective contact information to the Ohio EPA in case of future problems.
“The residents of Pineview deserve to have reliable, clean drinking water, and we are filing these actions to protect their health and safety,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We are requesting a temporary restraining order to provide immediate relief for residents, but we will continue to pursue this case to find a permanent solution.”
“Enough is enough. The on-again, off-again drinking water service at Pineview is unacceptable,” said Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler. “Continuing violations and the owner’s unwillingness to make the necessary repairs and upgrades to ensure a safe, reliable water supply led us to today’s action. We intend to resolve this situation for the long-term health and quality of life of Pineview’s residents.”
Pineview Pines Estates is located at 5730 Farmersville-West Carrollton Road. Its water system serves approximately 400 residents. According to the state’s filings, the water system has broken down repeatedly, leaving residents without drinking water and with potentially unsafe water when it was working.
The Attorney General’s lawsuit charges Pineview and Dearwester with failing to maintain adequate chlorine levels in the water, failing to maintain minimum water pressure, failing to address significant deficiencies in the water system, and failing to comply with Ohio EPA Findings and Orders, among other violations of Ohio safe drinking water laws.
The lawsuit seeks an order requiring Pineview to comply with Ohio’s safe drinking water laws and rules, to comply with previously-issued Ohio EPA Director's Final Findings and Orders, to correct all the deficiencies in its public water system, and to pay appropriate civil penalties and court fees.
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Documents
Lawsuit (PDF)
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (PDF)
Media Contacts
Dan Tierney, AGO: 614-466-3840
Kate Hanson, AGO: 614-466-3840
Dina Pierce, OEPA: 614-644-2160