Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited Cincinnati and Cleveland Heights on September 30, 2026, to showcase H2Ohio's work to improve water quality, focusing on Ohio EPA efforts to remove lead pipes and reduce road salt contamination.
DeWine created H2Ohio in 2019 as a comprehensive, data-driven approach to protect and improve water quality statewide, targeting water infrastructure and the root causes of harmful algal blooms. The visits are part of a multi-day tour over the coming weeks to celebrate the various methods H2Ohio uses to ensure clean, safe water across Ohio.
Ohio EPA has dedicated more than $9 million in H2Ohio funding to lead service line identification and replacement projects statewide, including more than $2 million for projects specifically serving nearly 200 childcare facilities and schools in Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. In Cincinnati, DeWine visited Holy Family School, where approximately 250 students in pre-K through 8th grade are benefiting from a project that proactively removed and replaced two lead service lines delivering water into their school building.
"Protecting our children and ensuring Ohio families have access to clean, reliable water has been a priority of H2Ohio from the very beginning, and we're seeing the results of that commitment in communities across the state," said Governor DeWine. "We're removing lead service lines, giving communities better tools to protect their water, and making investments that will benefit Ohio families for generations."
Since 2019, Ohio EPA has provided funding through H2Ohio and other sources for the removal of 16,000 lead service lines statewide, with an additional 30,000 in the process of replacement.
Since 2023, the H2Ohio Chloride Reduction Program has awarded more than $5 million to 101 projects for equipment and salt storage improvements to help communities reduce chloride pollution in Ohio's rivers and streams caused by excess road salt. DeWine's Cleveland Heights visit centered on the community's use of a $64,000 H2Ohio grant to purchase a brine maker, two 5,000-gallon storage tanks, and brine application equipment to use salt more effectively and reduce runoff into local waterways.
"H2Ohio is delivering solutions that communities can put to work right now," said Ohio EPA Director John Logue. "We're removing potential sources of lead where children spend their days and helping communities keep salt out of our rivers and streams. I'm proud of the work Ohio EPA has accomplished through Governor DeWine's H2Ohio initiative and the lasting impact it is having on children, families, and communities across the state."
Since 2019, the Ohio General Assembly has awarded Ohio EPA $107 million in H2Ohio funding for projects protecting drinking water and improving water quality, impacting every county in Ohio. H2Ohio is a partnership between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Ohio Lake Erie Commission. DeWine will continue visiting communities impacted by H2Ohio to promote the program's work to reduce water contamination through wetland creation and reduced phosphorus runoff from Ohio farms.