Other Hazards Important in Cinti

•Flooding

•Erosion

•Environmental Contamination

Flood Hazards

When a homesite is too good to be true

A Home by the River. Enjoy quiet country living in California, Ohio, with the river at your doorstep. Watch the river traffic go by from your back deck. This one-level frame house provides 2,000 square feet of comfortable living space. Asking $85,000. Call Patrick at Floodplain Properties for a showing.

Cincinnati flooded 1997

Falmouth KY 1997

Newport Levee 1997

Covington 1997

Covington 1937

Spring Grove Ave 1937

Flood Frequency – the Science

T = (N + 1) / M

where T is the recurrence interval in years, N is the number of years of record, and M is the rank of the event of interest. 

T is also 1/P, where P is the probability, in percent, that an event of a particular size will occur in the next year. 

Flood Frequency – FEMA Application

CAGIS sample flood map (http://hamilton-co.org/pubworks/Narative_GIS.htm)

Flood Resources 

Sandra Ashba, Flood Plain ManagerUnincorporated Hamilton County

946-4754or

Ed Weber, Storm Water Drainage System DivisionUnincorporated Hamilton County

946-4753 

http://www.hamilton-co.org/pubworks/narative_sfha.htm 

http://www.hamilton-co.org/pubworks/narative_sds.htm

Dick Regan, City of CincinnatiStorm Water Management

557-7131  

Erosion

Is the prospective property likely to lose ground?

A few simple precautions can save enormous headaches later• Check the flood insurance maps

• Ask the neighbors

• Look for signs of stream bank erosion

Environmental Hazards

•Radon

•Water Supplies

•Lead in Soils

Radon is a natural component of soils and is highly variable from region to region and house to house

• Each house needs to be tested separately

• Remediation is inexpensive and effective

• Better to lose a sale than be accused of disguising a problem

Actions to Take

Drinking Water Problems

• Copper (Cu) in new construction

• Lead (Pb) in old construction

Hamilton Co. water comes from 2 sources: Miller & Bolton. Butler Co. gets some water from Mason.

Source: CWW reports

Pb and Copper data from Cinti Water Works"90th percentile values" 1992 1992 2001 2001Water system Source Pb Cu Pb Cu

Miller Ohio River 7.8 21.5 4.4 21.9Bolton G Miami aquifer 10.7 37.4 4.6 19.2Mason Shaker Cr aquifer na na <1 230

EPA limits 15 1300 15 1300na - CWW recently took over the Mason system

About Lead and Your Drinking Water

There is no detectable lead in our drinking water as it leaves the treatment plants. It is possible that lead levels in your home may be high because of your home's pipes and plumbing fixtures. Infants and young children are more vulnerable to lead in drinking water. If you are concerned about high lead levels, have your water tested at no charge by Greater Cincinnati Water Works by calling

513-591-7700.

Flushing your tap for up to two minutes before using the water and using only cold water for cooking are also helpful.

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pages/-297-/

The major route of lead poisoning is actually soil and paint

• Roadside soils have high Pb

• Soils around older homes tend to have high Pb

• Dust on window sills can be very high in Pb

R2 = 0.3296

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Pb (ppm)

Dep

th (

cm)

Roadside soils (and those near houses with Pb paint) can have dangerous levels of Pb at the surface.

What to do?

As a developer, soil testing for Pb is cheap and can save major headaches later.

As a homeowner with small children, it can be a lifesaver.

The cost of environmental inspection is not trivial, but is very small in proportion to the risk.

A question for the audience

What role does the real estate agent have in helping the client recognize hazards?