PROTECTION OF WATERCOURSES

Columbus City Codes tit. 11, ch. 1111

in effect

Columbus City Codes § 1111.01 Permitting unsanitary matter to flow into watercourses.

1111.01 - Permitting unsanitary matter to flow into watercourses. No person shall cause or permit any matter of any kind or character from any dwelling, industrial establishments, business establishments, petroleum storage area, farm, building, cesspool, drain, privy vaults, catch basins, other receptacle for domestic or sanitary sewage, barnyard, pig sty, garbage heap or dump, rubbish heap or dump, or other similar place, or any excrement of persons, animals or fowl, or any petroleum product or other deleterious substance to drain or flow in a harmful, unpalatable, filthy, unsanitary or other deleterious condition into any river, creek, stream, reservoir or other watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply above the intake of any city water filtration plant, or into any ravine, run, swale, drain, sinkhole, stream, ditch, creek, reservoir, or other watercourse, whereby such matter in such condition may be drained or may flow into any such watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply above the intake of any such plant, provided this section shall apply outside the corporate limits only in those areas in which the city may now or hereafter be authorized by law to regulate. (Sec. 21.22; Ord. 464-57.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.02 Maintenance of privy vaults near watercourses.

1111.02 - Maintenance of privy vaults near watercourses. No person shall maintain any privy vault, catch basin, or other receptacle for sanitary or domestic sewage, barnyard, pig sty, hen coop, hog wallow, garbage heap or dump, or rubbish heap or dump within one hundred and fifty feet of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply above the intake of any city water filtration plant or within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the high water mark in any ravine, run, swale, draw, sinkhole, stream, ditch, or other watercourse, whereby water may flow directly or indirectly, permanently or at intervals, into any such watercourse from which the city takes water above the intake of any such plant; provided, that this section shall not apply to the maintenance of any privy vault, catch basin or other receptacle for sanitary or domestic sewage or of any barnyard, pig sty, hen coop, hog wallow, garbage heap or rubbish heap, from which no filthy or unsanitary matter can drain or flow into such stream above the intake of such plant, or into any ravine, run, swale, draw, sinkhole, stream, ditch or other watercourse, whereby such matter may be drained or may flow into any such watercourse above the intake of such plant and the Director of Columbus Water & Power of such city finds such to be the fact; provided further that this section shall apply outside the corporate limits only in those areas in which the city may now or hereafter be authorized by law to regulate. (Ord. 478-92: Ord. 422-06 § 2 (part); Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.03 Maintenance of privy vaults etc. on watershed; exceptions.

1111.03 - Maintenance of privy vaults etc. on watershed; exceptions. No person shall maintain any cesspool, vault or other receptacle for drainage or sewage from dwellings, privy vaults or farm buildings on the watershed of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply above the intake of any city water filtration plant, unless such cesspools, vaults, or other receptacles for drainage or sewage be covered and of concrete and watertight, and of sufficient dimensions to store the whole volume of sewage or drainage produced in dwellings, privies or farm buildings connected therewith for a period of one month at a time of maximum flow, as aforesaid, except that persons occupying temporary camps may substitute watertight boxes in place of concrete receptacles for receiving garbage, manure and sanitary sewage, but in all cases the contents of such boxes must be buried as hereinafter required; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to the maintenance of any cesspool, vault or other receptacle for drainage or sewage from dwellings, privy vaults, or farm buildings, from which no filthy or unsanitary matter can flow therefrom into any such watercourse above the intake of such plant or into any ravine, run, swale, draw, sinkhole, stream, ditch or other watercourse from which the water may permanently or at intervals flow directly or indirectly into any such watercourse from which the city takes water above the intake of any such plant; provided further that this section shall apply outside the corporate limits only in those areas in which the city may now or hereafter be authorized by law to regulate. (Sec. 21.24; Ord. 464-57: Ord. 422-06 § 2 (part).)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.04 Disposal of garbage and rubbish near watercourse.

1111.04 - Disposal of garbage and rubbish near watercourse. No person maintaining a garbage or rubbish receptacle under the provisions of this Article shall fail to remove the material from the same before the receptacle fills up, or to burn or bury such material when such receptacle is located within two hundred yards of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply or of any watercourse or sinkhole through which water may flow directly or indirectly into any such watercourse above the intake of the city water filtration plant; provided further that this section shall apply outside the corporate limits only in those areas in which the city may now or hereafter be authorized by law to regulate. (Sec. 21.25; Ord. 464-57.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.05 Inspections.

1111.05 - Inspections. It shall be unlawful for any person having, owning or using the receptacles referred to in C.C. 1111.04 to refuse to permit the same to be inspected by the Director of Columbus Water & Power or by some person duly authorized by the Director to make such inspection. (Ord. 478-92: Ord. 422-06 § 2 (part); Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.06 Depositing matter in watercourse which may cause pollution.

1111.06 - Depositing matter in watercourse which may cause pollution. No person shall deposit or place, throw or leave in the waters of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply, or its tributary streams, runs, or watercourses, or on the banks or lands adjacent to or about such watercourses above the intake of any city water filtration plant, any substance or thing, which does or may pollute or tend to pollute such waters; provided this section shall apply outside the corporate limits only in those areas in which the city now or hereafter may be authorized by law to regulate. (Sec. 21.29; Ord. 464-57.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.07 Swimming, washing clothes in watercourses prohibited.

1111.07 - Swimming, washing clothes in watercourses prohibited. No person shall swim, bathe, or wash clothes in the waters of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply above the intake of any city water infiltration plant; provided this section shall apply outside the corporate limits only in those areas in which the city may now or hereafter be authorized by law to regulate. (Sec. 21.27; Ord. 464-57.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.08 Watering stock.

1111.08 - Watering stock. No person shall permit stock belonging to said person or in that person's charge, to wade, swim, or stand in the waters of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply above the intake of any city water filtration plant; provided this section shall apply outside the corporate limits of the city only in those areas in which the city may now or hereafter by law be authorized to regulate. (Sec. 21.28; Ord. 464-57; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.09 Depositing substances between banks of a watercourse.

1111.09 - Depositing substances between banks of a watercourse. No person shall deposit any earth, gravel, cinders, ashes, garbage or other materials whatever at any place between or within the banks of any watercourse from which the city takes water for its water supply within the corporation. (Sec. 21.30; Ord. 464-57.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.10 Depositing substances in or near streams or watercourses.

1111.10 - Depositing substances in or near streams or watercourses. No person shall place, dump, deposit, store, abandon, or permit to remain any earth, gravel, cinders, ashes, garbage, rubbish, debris, drift, timber or any other material of whatsoever kind or nature in any stream or watercourse or on the banks of any stream or watercourse. (Ord. 347-59.)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.11 Work or construction in or about streams or watercourses.

1111.11 - Work or construction in or about streams or watercourses. No person shall construct any dam, levee, obstruction diminishing the cross section of a stream or watercourse, pier, abutment, bridge, lake, pond, or reservoir in, over, across or about any stream or watercourse, or shall alter the course or channel of any stream or watercourse, or shall widen or deepen any stream or watercourse, or shall perform any other work or construction which diminishes the cross section or capacity of any stream or watercourse without first obtaining a permit to do so from the Director of Columbus Water & Power. Any person desiring to perform any such work or construction shall make application to the Director of Columbus Water & Power, accompanied by a fee of two dollars ($2.00), and a copy of the plans and specifications for such work or construction. The director shall issue a permit to the applicant if he determines that the proposed work or construction will not hinder the free flow of water in the stream or watercourse, will not materially reduce the carrying capacity of the stream or watercourse, will not create a flood hazard to any public or private property in times of high water, will not cause injury to or otherwise adversely affect the rights or property of upper or lower riparian owners, and will not be adverse to the public interest. The director shall not issue a permit if the director determines that the proposed work or construction will hinder the free flow of water in the stream or watercourse, will materially reduce the carrying capacity of the stream or watercourse, will create a flood hazard to any property, public or private, in times of high water, will cause injury to or otherwise adversely affect the rights or property of any upper or lower riparian owner or will be adverse to the public interest. (Ord. 478-92: Ord. 422-06 § 2 (part); Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026)

Columbus City Codes § 1111.99 Penalty.

1111.99 - Penalty. Whoever violates any provision of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00), or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. Any such violation shall constitute a separate offense on each successive day continued.

Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT11WASEELCO_CH1111PRWAFetched: 10/27/2026