A fee included in the monthly water bill dedicated to the debt retirement for construction projects (i.e. water towers, pump stations, fire hydrants, and transmission lines) provided by the County of Medina based on customer meter size.

Permit Fee

The permit required before the installation of the service connection.

Meter Fee

The device necessary to measure the amount of water supplied to the consumer. There are two types of residential meter configurations: Inside meter and meter vault.

Inside Meter

The most common water meter is physically situated in the building being served by the service connection. The items included in the fee and supplied by the County are a 3/4″ inside meter, meter mounting yoke, and the wiring and remote read device. After your plumber has installed the meter mounting yoke, and your work has passed inspection, the County will install the meter and the wiring and remote read device mounted outside on the building.

Meter Vault

The water meter is physically situated in a vault along the road in front of the building being served by the service connection. Generally, if your home is more than 150 feet from the road, if you have no basement or if you have a pond in front of your home you will be required to install a cylindrical canister 3/4″ vault and cover in lieu of the wiring and remote read. The Sanitary Engineer will determine on a case by case basis the need for a 3/4″ meter vault. The items included in the fee and supplied by the County are a 3/4″ meter, meter mounting yoke, and the cylindrical canister vault and cover. After your plumber has installed the meter mounting yoke, cylindrical canister vault and cover, and your work has passed inspection, the County will install the meter.

Water Curb Connection

The necessary labor and material to install a 1″ connection on an existing water main is provided by the County. All excavation, backfill and pavement replacement is to be borne by your registered contractor. This cost does not reflect your cost to have a private contractor install the SERVICE LINE from the shut off valve to the house. This cost is the same regardless of which side of the road the waterline is located.

County Construction Fee

The Board of Medina County Commissioners have established a fee of $4,000.00 per residential unit for water supplied from Avon Lake or $4600.00 for water supplied by the Cleveland Water Department to offset a portion of the cost of constructing new waterlines installed by the County. This fee replaces an assessment based on the frontage or benefits but does not cover the entire cost of the water distribution system.*

Frontage Tap-In Fee

This fee is included in the monthly water bill, and was established to insure that each recipient of water services will pay its proportionate share of the cost of constructing the entire water works (i.e., water towers, pump stations, fire hydrants, and transmission lines) provided by the County of Medina. If you do not plan on connecting and using the service, this fee is not collected but, you will still be receiving the benefits of fire protection, reduced fire insurance rates, and increased resale value, thus it will accumulate at the rate of $4.00 per month commencing upon notification of availability of water services, until you do connect. The accumulated total will be payable then.*

Tap-In Fees

The Board of County Commissioners have established a tap-in fee of $2,600.00 for existing lines where the cost of construction has already been paid by a developer. The tap-in fee is used to retire debt associated with water towers and pump stations necessary to provide water pressure to these lines.*

No, homeowners do not have to pay the charges if they do not connect. The price charged for construction is set by the County Board of Commissioners and is based on actual construction costs and is subject to change as construction prices change over time.

The homeowner will need to hire a contractor registered with the County to install the connection. The costs will vary depending on site conditions.*

Our water department personnel will size your line for you based on the water pressure in your location and your distance from the street. The typical service connection is 1″ diameter. Service connections must be type K copper when the meter is installed in the house. Type K copper is required to an outside meter but 200 psi plastic pipe is acceptable after the meter vault.

Your contractor will need to dig access pits for the County’s bore machine to bore under the road. The cost of the bore is included in your connection fee.

Financing is available only for new water main construction at the time it is made available to new customers. The County will not finance construction fees for existing waterlines.

In the county’s northern water system, water from Lake Erie is treated by the City of Avon Lake and delivered into Medina County through three (3) separate transmission lines. In the southern part of the county, water is supplied by wells then treated and distributed to our customers.

In General, outside meters are required when a house is set more than 150 feet back from the street, for slab homes, or if you have a pond in front of your home.

In areas not served with public sewers, lot sizes must remain large to accommodate septic systems. A public water supply can make an area more desirable but will not necessarily increase the density of development.

A boil alert is issued when the pressure is lost in the water line and there is the possibility of any foreign substance entering the system.

• Click here for learn more about contaminants

What Should I Do In The Event Of A Boil Alert?

If a boil alert is issued in your area, boil any water you will ingest vigorously at or near 212°F (100°C) for at least one full minute to kill any disease causing bacteria that may be present in the water. (A microwave oven may be used to boil the water.) Vigorous boiling for one minute will kill any disease-causing microorganisms present in water.

The flat taste of boiled water may be improved by pouring it back and forth between two clean containers before use, by allowing it to stand for a few hours after boiling, or by adding a small pinch of salt for each quart of water boiled.

Water to be used for drinking, cooking, making any prepared drink, or brushing the teeth should be boiled.

• Click here for more information about safe drinking water

• Wait until you have a full load of laundry before running the washing machine. Run the dishwasher when full. These two appliances use the same amount of water whether they are full or only have a couple items in them. When replacing these machines, consider buying appliances that are water efficient.
• Repair leaky faucets and toilets. Most faucet leaks are caused by worn washers. Most toilet leaks occur when parts are worn or in need of adjustment and can go undetected at first. Add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If coloring appears in the toilet bowl without flushing, there is a leak. When replacing faucets and toilets, consider buying those with a low consumption rate.
• Don’t use your toilet as a trash can. Each time you flush away a cigarette butt, spider, gum wrapper, hair from your hairbrush, etc., you are wasting 5 to 7 gallons of water! Please throw these items in the trash can.
• Keep a jug of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until cold.
• Water lawns and gardens with a slow, steady trickle of water early in the morning. When mowing, set the height of your mower to three inches to keep grass roots shaded and helps the lawn hold moisture. Plant grasses and shrubs that require little watering or are drought resistant.
• For further information on water conservation, contact the American Water Works Association, U.S. Department of Natural Resources Conservation Service, or the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Medina County Sanitary Engineers Office conducts random lead testing of County supplied water to comply with EPA requirements. Lead in drinking water above the EPA action level (15 parts per billion per liter) can significantly increase risk of damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys if too much enters your body. The risk is higher for pregnant women and young children.

Drinking water can contain lead as a result of corrosion of materials containing lead within the water distribution system and/or household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass, chrome-plated brass faucets, and pipes made of lead that connect your house to the water main (service lines).

Some Precautions You Can Take To Minimize Lead In Your Water

• Run water for approximately one minute before using for drinking or cooking if your faucet has gone unused for six hours or more. Run water two to three minutes if your service line has lead in it.
• Use cold water for from the tap for cooking and drinking. Hot water from the tap can dissolve more lead quicker than cold water.
• Inspect your plumbing and remove any loose lead solder and debris. Remove the faucet strainers from taps and run water three to five minutes.
• The wiring in your home should be inspected by an electrician. If your electrical system is grounded to your pipes, it may cause greater corrosion.

For further information about lead and drinking water, please visit the Environmental Protection Agency.