Matz Malone's Investigative Report

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#33CCFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B>Seven  Creeks  Roadside  Spring Water</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seven Creeks Roadside Spring Water"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id595.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="To Governor"><B><IMG SRC="0720e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>  </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>    </B><A HREF="id693.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blogs "><B><IMG SRC="0710e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id764.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kelly Lecker Report "><B><IMG SRC="0730e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> We want to first thank Matz Malone and the Steubenville Herald Star <A HREF="http://hsconnect.com/index.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://hsconnect.com/index.asp">http://hsconnect.com/index.asp</A>for the very well written, balanced, December 5, 2004 news article. </div> <div> Matz  retired. We wish him a long happy retirement. Thanks Matz.</div> <div> We want those of you who read Matz's article, to know that, the slogan we use, "Water I Trust", are not hollow words to us, but are filled with the values we believe in; Honesty, Integrity, Respect, and Trust.  These values are rooted in our country, which was built upon freedom and democracy, principles that daughters and sons of our country, through out history, have died for overcoming tyranny. We owe it to those principles, and you, to make sure that the spring water you fill your jugs with will always be the "Water I Trust". That is why we would not provide any water we did not feel was safe, pure, spring water, with nothing added or nothing removed, something that is impossible to do if we were to change the system we now use.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=398 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <I>Matz Malone's Investigative Report  </I></div> <div> <A HREF="http://hsconnect.com/business/business.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://hsconnect.com/business/business.a">http://hsconnect.com/business/business.asp</A></div> <bR> <div> Sunday, December 05, 2004  Steubenville Herald Star</div> <bR> <div> Seven Creeks Spring established to sell water by bottle <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#33CCFF" FACE="Arial" >by Matz Malone Business editor</FONT></div> <bR> <div> STEUBENVILLE - Tony Galownia poured a cup of coffee made with his Seven Creeks Spring Water and talked about the business he and his two sons, Tom and Jim, have operated for the past six years. </div> <bR> <div> "That coffee is the best you have ever had because our water is good," the elder Galownia said. </div> <div> Through the course of sipping the coffee and talking about the future of the family business, Tony indicated Seven Creeks Spring is caught in what can be best described as a classic Catch 22. </div> <bR> <div> It's becoming a riddle, in a puzzle, wrapped inside an enigma.</div> <div>  </div> <div> Seven Creeks was established to sell spring water by the bottle. It was approved by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and met all sanitary tests and health regulations.A commercial venture ensued and off-site kiosks were designed to extend the business for a coin-operated distribution system in addition to the main distribution point on Seven Creeks Road. </div> <div> The spring water that comes from the hillside springs is piped into a large stainless steel holding tank where it is treated with ultraviolet light.</div> <div>  </div> <div> "We have a natural spring that never stops," Jim Galownia said. </div> <bR> <div> Changes in oversight </div> <bR> <div> But, earlier this year, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency took over as the oversight agency for Seven Creeks and the agency is wanting some major changes made if the business is to continue. </div> <bR> <div> In basic terms, the OEPA wants the water from the spring to be treated with chlorine. </div> <div> "It's a spring the OEPA wouldn't approve for a public water source without treatment," said Mike Moschell, an inspector with the OEPA's Division of Drinking and Ground Waters.</div> <div>  </div> <div> Here's where it gets confusing. The Galownias contend if the water is chlorinated, it won't have the natural taste that people like. </div> <bR> <div> Another option, according to the Galownias is to drill a well and treat this water. </div> <div> "If we drill a well, it defeats the purpose of spring water," Jim Galownia said. </div> <div> Tony added, "Why drill a well here and get sulfur water. We have a natural spring that never stops." </div> <bR> <div> Moschell said Ohio regulations note a public water source is a system that provides water to 25 people 60 days out of the year. "Seven Creeks meets that criteria," Moschell said. </div> <div> "We are not a public water system," Jim Galownia said, "We don't pipe the water to anyone's house."</div> <div>  </div> <div> Option and alternatives </div> <bR> <div> On April 16, Moschell and representatives of the OEPA and Rich Kelly and Mark Maragos of the Jefferson County Health Department met with the Galownias to determine "if the system met the definition of a public water system and the ability of the facility to provide an adequate, safe and potable water" that meets Ohio code.</div> <div>  </div> <div> In an April 27, letter to Tom Galownia, Moschell noted, "...your operation is unique and is not contemplated by many of Ohio's drinking water regulations. </div> <div> "We discussed several alternatives to your installing surface water treatment, including: </div> <div> "A. closing the vending kiosks and bottling water under license of the Department of Agriculture </div> <div> "B. closing the business </div> <div> "C. drilling a well to provide water (you will meet to have me review the well site and have detail plans approved by Ohio EPA, including a new well chemical analysis." </div> <bR> <div> Tom Galownia said recently, "A well defeats the purpose. Spring water is what we have and it's good water. We are not trying to hide anything. If we had a problem with the water, we wouldn't sell it. There's a lot of questions we continue to raise, but we aren't getting any answers," he said. </div> <bR> <div> Tony said, "People are not very happy about them wanting to close us down. </div> <div> "We have the water checked every month and it always comes back OK and we post the results. We do everything according to regulations," he said. </div> <bR> <div> Kelly, director of environmental health with the county health district, said any water sold has to be treated, while the Galownias contend any additives will change the taste of the water. </div> <div> "They are treating the water (with UV light) but this doesn't meet EPA rules," Kelly said, adding that the Seven Creeks water is termed "ground water under the influence of surface water." </div> <bR> <div> Letter to governor<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Letters have been sent to Gov. Bob Taft, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville; state Sen. Greg DiDonato, D-Scio; state Rep. John Domenick, D-Smithfield, seeking help in finding a solution to the issue.</div> <div>  </div> <div> The Sept. 10 letter to Taft includes: </div> <bR> <div> "Governor, we are humbly asking for your help to save our self-serve, bottled water, roadside spring.</div> <bR> <div> For the past six years, people have been traveling 1/2 mile up a gravel road to our self-serve, roadside spring just to fill their jugs with our spring water. The spring has been licensed by the Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Division since 1998. This year, however, without any reason, we were the only spring water, bottling facility in Ohio to have its license with the Food Safety Division not renewed and instead transferred to the Ohio EPA.</div> <div>  </div> <div> While the water we provide meets all the EPA regulations, the EPA has ruled that our self-serve bottled water system, although complying with the Food Safety Requirements for bottled water and (National Automatic Merchandising Association) Construction standard for water vending machines, cannot meet the requirements for a public water system. In order to meet these requirements we must replace our already approved water treatment system with a less stringent sand filter and add chlorine to our water like systems used for treating drinking water from the river or, replace our spring with a well. This is in spite of the fact that the system we use has been working successfully for six years without any problems. This is backed by the fact the system is tested twice a month for bacteria using two types of tests, is tested annually for 40 organic and 30 inorganic chemicals, and uses micro filters for cyst reductions which are recommended by the United States Government Center for Disease Control.</div> <div>  </div> <div> What we don't understand is that in 1997 the Ohio EPA, which helped us get started with the design, sent us to the Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Division, for our license to operate a self-serve bottle water operation.</div> <div>  </div> <div> The system was designed to the requirements of and inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and now the EPA want us to close our spring," the letter to Taft concluded."</div> <div>  </div> <div> No response to letter </div> <bR> <div> Tom said the none of the inquiries sent to lawmakers has resulted in any form of response.</div> <div>  </div> <div> "If we would have had this resistance in the beginning, we would never have started," Tom said. "But we got encouragement and approval in the beginning. The water is OK. This is just a jurisdictional issue," he added. </div> <bR> <div> On Oct. 19, the Galownias went to Columbus to meet with Moschell and Tom Behlen, an assistant with the Ohio Attorney General's Office. </div> <bR> <div> Tom said they posed specific questions to the hearing officer, who has scheduled a conference call to update the Galownias on Dec. 16.</div> <div>  </div> <div> There's yet an enigma inside the larger Catch 22 surrounding the Seven Creeks dilemma. </div> <div> Bruce Misselwitz, administrator of the Jefferson County General Health District, noted the Seven Creeks water source "is not in compliance of regulations as a ground water source," reiterating Seven Creeks was once licensed by the Department of Agriculture but now is under the jurisdiction of OEPA. </div> <bR> <div> Misselwitz said the vending machines aren't licensed because they aren't certified by the National Sanitary Foundation."They have to apply to (National Automatic Merchandising Association) in Chicago." But he noted that apparently hasn't been completed. </div> <div> "If they do that, we will try to license the machines. But Jefferson County can't license the vending machines until they are certified. We are responsible for the vending machines, but the EPA is responsible for the source," he said.</div> <div>  </div> <div> But, Misselwitz also said, even if the vending machines are licensed, the Galownias can't sell the water until the source is approved by the EPA.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Actual Article</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b132bbe0.jpg" border=0 width="555" height="1470" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>