Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 6111
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01 (2026)

Water pollution control definitions

✓ laws through the 2026 session (checked Sept. 2026)
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Effective:
September 30, 2025
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 96 - 136th General Assembly
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As used in this chapter:

(A) "Pollution" means the placing of any sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes in any waters of the state.

(B) "Sewage" means any liquid waste containing sludge, sludge materials, or animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution, and may include household wastes as commonly discharged from residences and from commercial, institutional, or similar facilities.

(C) "Industrial waste" means any liquid, gaseous, or solid waste substance resulting from any process of industry, manufacture, trade, or business, or from the development, processing, or recovery of any natural resource, together with such sewage as is present.

(D) "Other wastes" means garbage, refuse, decayed wood, sawdust, shavings, bark, and other wood debris, lime, sand, ashes, offal, night soil, oil, tar, coal dust, dredged or fill material, or silt, other substances that are not sewage, sludge, sludge materials, or industrial waste, and any other "pollutants" or "toxic pollutants" as defined in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that are not sewage, sludge, sludge materials, or industrial waste.

(E) "Sewerage system" means pipelines or conduits, pumping stations, and force mains, and all other constructions, devices, appurtenances, and facilities used for collecting or conducting water-borne sewage, industrial waste, or other wastes to a point of disposal or treatment, but does not include plumbing fixtures, building drains and subdrains, building sewers, and building storm sewers.

(F) "Treatment works" means any plant, disposal field, lagoon, dam, pumping station, building sewer connected directly to treatment works, incinerator, or other works used for the purpose of treating, stabilizing, blending, composting, or holding sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes, except as otherwise defined.

(G) "Disposal system" means a system for disposing of sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes and includes sewerage systems and treatment works.

(H) "Waters of the state" means all streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, watercourses, waterways, wells, springs, irrigation systems, drainage systems, and other bodies or accumulations of water, surface and underground, natural or artificial, regardless of the depth of the strata in which underground water is located, that are situated wholly or partly within, or border upon, this state, or are within its jurisdiction, except those private waters that do not combine or effect a junction with natural surface or underground waters. "Waters of the state" does not include an ephemeral feature for which the United States army corps of engineers lacks the authority to issue a permit under 33 U.S.C. 1344.

(I) "Person" means the state, any municipal corporation, any other political subdivision of the state, any person as defined in section 1.59 of the Revised Code, any interstate body created by compact, or the federal government or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof.

(J) "Industrial water pollution control facility" means any disposal system or any treatment works, pretreatment works, appliance, equipment, machinery, pipeline or conduit, pumping station, force main, or installation constructed, used, or placed in operation primarily for the purpose of collecting or conducting industrial waste to a point of disposal or treatment; reducing, controlling, or eliminating water pollution caused by industrial waste; or reducing, controlling, or eliminating the discharge into a disposal system of industrial waste or what would be industrial waste if discharged into the waters of the state.

(K) "Schedule of compliance" means a schedule of remedial measures including an enforceable sequence of actions or operations leading to compliance with standards and rules adopted under sections 6111.041 and 6111.042 of the Revised Code or compliance with terms and conditions of permits set under division (J) of section 6111.03 of the Revised Code.

(L) "Federal Water Pollution Control Act" means the "Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972," 86 Stat. 886, 33 U.S.C.A. 1251, as amended by the "Clean Water Act of 1977," 91 Stat. 1566, 33 U.S.C.A. 1251, and all other amendments to that act.

(M) "Historically channelized watercourse" means the portion of a watercourse on which an improvement, as defined in divisions (C)(2) to (4) of section 6131.01 of the Revised Code, was constructed pursuant to Chapter 940., 6131., or 6133. of the Revised Code or a similar state law that preceded any of those chapters and authorized such an improvement.

(N) "Sludge" means sewage sludge and a solid, semi-solid, or liquid residue that is generated from an industrial wastewater treatment process and that is applied to land for agronomic benefit. "Sludge" does not include ash generated during the firing of sludge in a sludge incinerator, grit and screening generated during preliminary treatment of sewage in a treatment works, animal manure, residue generated during treatment of animal manure, or domestic septage.

(O) "Sludge materials" means solid, semi-solid, or liquid materials derived from sludge and includes products from a treatment works that result from the treatment, blending, or composting of sludge.

(P) "Storage of sludge" means the placement of sludge on land on which the sludge remains for not longer than two years, but does not include the placement of sludge on land for treatment.

(Q) "Sludge disposal program" means any program used by an entity that begins with the generation of sludge and includes treatment or disposal of the sludge, as "treatment" and "disposal" are defined in division (X) of section 3745.11 of the Revised Code.

(R) "Agronomic benefit" means any process that promotes or enhances plant growth and includes, but is not limited to, a process that increases soil fertility and moisture retention.

(S) "Sludge management" means the use, storage, treatment, or disposal of, and management practices related to, sludge and sludge materials.

(T) "Sludge management permit" means a permit for sludge management that is issued under division (J) of section 6111.03 of the Revised Code.

(U) "Sewage sludge" has the same meaning as in division (X) of section 3745.11 of the Revised Code.

(V) "Ephemeral feature" means surface water flowing or pooling only in direct response to precipitation, such as rain or snow. "Ephemeral feature" does not include a wetland, as defined in section 6111.02 of the Revised Code.

Last updated August 13, 2025 at 10:54 AM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 35 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1956–2024 · leading case: State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2018-Ohio-3109, 104 N.E.3d 843.
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State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2018-Ohio-3109, 104 N.E.3d 843. · cites it 9× “{¶ 10} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a "water of the state," as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01 ; that it was designated as a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ("ODNR") on July 2, 1979; that it is designated as an…”
State v. Grinstead, 958 N.E.2d 177 (Ohio Ct. App. 12th Dist. 2011). · cites it 2× “” Instead, based on a clear reading of the statute, the state was merely required to prove that the materials constituted “sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes” as those terms are defined by R.C. 6111.01. {¶ 33} Regardless, after a thorough review…”
State ex rel. Brown v. Dayton Malleable, Inc., 438 N.E.2d 120 (Ohio 1982). · cites it 3× ““No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code, or violate any order, rule, or term or condition of a permit issued by the director of environmental protection pursuant to such sections.”
State ex rel. Yost v. Osborne Co., 2020-Ohio-3090, 154 N.E.3d 183. · cites it 4× “{¶9} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a “water of the state,” as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01; it was designated a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (“ODNR”) on July 2, 1979; it is designated an Outstanding State…”
JTO, Inc. v. Travelers Indem. Co. of Am., 242 F. Supp. 3d 599 (N.D. Ohio 2017). · cites it 2× “” Ohio Revised Code Section 6111.01 defines pollution as (A) “Pollution” means the placing of any sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes in any waters of the state.”
Ormet Primary Aluminum Corp. v. Employers Ins., 725 N.E.2d 646 (Ohio 2000). “See R.C. 6111.01 et seq. In addition, Ormet appears to argue that a genuine issue of material fact exists with respect to the Globe primary policy requiring notice as soon as practicable after an accident or suit becomes known to Ormet’s Insurance Department, and with respect to…”
State ex rel. Cordray v. Helms, 949 N.E.2d 522 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 2011). · cites it 3× “07(B), “[t]he attorney general, upon the written request of the director [of environmental protection], shall prosecute any person who violates, or who fails to perform any duty imposed by, sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code or who violates any order, rule, or…”
Chance v. BP Chemicals, Inc., 670 N.E.2d 985 (Ohio 1996). “Appellee argues that the court of appeals correctly found that appellants have no possessory interest in these waters, and further argues that the alleged presence of injectate does not, as a matter of law, infringe any property right of appellants.”
State ex rel. Cordray v. Evergreen Land Dev., Ltd., 2016-Ohio-7038. · cites it 6× “07(A) (No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by R.C. 6111.01 to 6111.08 or violate any rule or term of a permit); R.”
Reeser v. Weaver Bros., 560 N.E.2d 819 (Ohio Ct. App. 2d Dist. 1989). · cites it 2× “The plaintiffs’ initial complaint alleged intentional, reckless or negligent polluting, breach of contract, nuisance, and violations of the pollution laws, R.C. 6111.01 et seq. Damages requested by the plaintiffs included lost profits from the fishing lakes, damage to the lakes…”
Fairfield Cnty. Bd. of Commissioners v. Nally, 34 N.E.3d 873 (Ohio 2015). “The statute governing Ohio EPA’s authority over water quality provides: In furtherance of sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code, the director of environmental protection shall adopt standards of water quality to be applicable to the waters of the state.”
Alden v. Summit Cnty., 679 N.E.2d 36 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 1996). · cites it 2× “R.C. 6111.01(1). “Waters of the state” would include Mud Brook pursuant to R.”
Show all 35 citing cases →
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(1): 1 case
Alden v. Summit Cnty., 679 N.E.2d 36 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 1996). “R.C. 6111.01(1). “Waters of the state” would include Mud Brook pursuant to R.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(A): 7 cases
State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2018-Ohio-3109, 104 N.E.3d 843. “{¶ 10} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a "water of the state," as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01 ; that it was designated as a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ("ODNR") on July 2, 1979; that it is designated as an…”
Morton Int'l, Inc. v. Cont'l Ins., 662 N.E.2d 29 (Ohio Ct. App. 1st Dist. 1995).
State ex rel. Yost v. Osborne Co., 2020-Ohio-3090, 154 N.E.3d 183. “{¶9} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a “water of the state,” as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01; it was designated a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (“ODNR”) on July 2, 1979; it is designated an Outstanding State…”
State v. McLaughlin, 673 N.E.2d 234 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 1996).
State ex rel. Cordray v. Evergreen Land Dev., Ltd., 2016-Ohio-7038. “07(A) (No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by R.C. 6111.01 to 6111.08 or violate any rule or term of a permit); R.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(B): 1 case
Allen Twp. Bd. of Trs. v. Chasteen, 646 N.E.2d 542 (Ohio Ct. App. 6th Dist. 1994).
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(C): 4 cases
State v. Grinstead, 958 N.E.2d 177 (Ohio Ct. App. 12th Dist. 2011). “” Instead, based on a clear reading of the statute, the state was merely required to prove that the materials constituted “sewage, sludge, sludge materials, industrial waste, or other wastes” as those terms are defined by R.C. 6111.01. {¶ 33} Regardless, after a thorough review…”
Veolia Water N. Am. Operating Servs., Inc. v. Testa (Slip Opinion), 2016-Ohio-756, 51 N.E.3d 613.
State v. D.J. Master Clean, Inc., 704 N.E.2d 301 (Ohio Ct. App. 10th Dist. 1997).
State ex rel. Yost v. Wylie, 2024-Ohio-2498, 246 N.E.3d 1089.
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(D): 6 cases
State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2018-Ohio-3109, 104 N.E.3d 843. “{¶ 10} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a "water of the state," as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01 ; that it was designated as a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ("ODNR") on July 2, 1979; that it is designated as an…”
State ex rel. Yost v. Osborne Co., 2020-Ohio-3090, 154 N.E.3d 183. “{¶9} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a “water of the state,” as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01; it was designated a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (“ODNR”) on July 2, 1979; it is designated an Outstanding State…”
Citizens Against Am. Landfill Expansion v. Koncelik, 2014-Ohio-123, 9 N.E.3d 386.
State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2017-Ohio-8284, 100 N.E.3d 1.
Heiby Oil Co. v. Schregardus, 634 N.E.2d 234 (Ohio Ct. App. 10th Dist. 1993).
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(G): 1 case
Red Hill Farm Trust v. Schregardus, 656 N.E.2d 1010 (Ohio Ct. App. 5th Dist. 1995).
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(H): 12 cases
State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2018-Ohio-3109, 104 N.E.3d 843. “{¶ 10} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a "water of the state," as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01 ; that it was designated as a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ("ODNR") on July 2, 1979; that it is designated as an…”
Chance v. BP Chemicals, Inc., 670 N.E.2d 985 (Ohio 1996). “Appellee argues that the court of appeals correctly found that appellants have no possessory interest in these waters, and further argues that the alleged presence of injectate does not, as a matter of law, infringe any property right of appellants.”
State ex rel. Cordray v. Helms, 949 N.E.2d 522 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 2011). “07(B), “[t]he attorney general, upon the written request of the director [of environmental protection], shall prosecute any person who violates, or who fails to perform any duty imposed by, sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code or who violates any order, rule, or…”
Alden v. Summit Cnty., 679 N.E.2d 36 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 1996). “R.C. 6111.01(1). “Waters of the state” would include Mud Brook pursuant to R.”
State v. McLaughlin, 673 N.E.2d 234 (Ohio Ct. App. 9th Dist. 1996).
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(I): 4 cases
State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2018-Ohio-3109, 104 N.E.3d 843. “{¶ 10} The parties stipulated that the East Branch Chagrin River is a "water of the state," as that term is defined in R.C. 6111.01 ; that it was designated as a State Scenic River by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ("ODNR") on July 2, 1979; that it is designated as an…”
State ex rel. Cordray v. Evergreen Land Dev., Ltd., 2016-Ohio-7038. “07(A) (No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by R.C. 6111.01 to 6111.08 or violate any rule or term of a permit); R.”
State ex rel. DeWine v. Osborne Co., 2017-Ohio-8284, 100 N.E.3d 1.
Litsinger v. Rootstown Twp. Bd. of Trs., 2024-Ohio-781, 237 N.E.3d 826.
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(K): 1 case
State ex rel. Brown v. Dayton Malleable, Inc., 438 N.E.2d 120 (Ohio 1982). ““No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code, or violate any order, rule, or term or condition of a permit issued by the director of environmental protection pursuant to such sections.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 6111.01(L): 1 case
State ex rel. Brown v. Dayton Malleable, Inc., 438 N.E.2d 120 (Ohio 1982). ““No person shall violate or fail to perform any duty imposed by sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code, or violate any order, rule, or term or condition of a permit issued by the director of environmental protection pursuant to such sections.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.