Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 6111.032 – Primary authority to reside in legislative authority or governing board

(A) The legislative authority of a municipal corporation or the governing board of a county or special district owning or operating a publicly owned treatment works or sewerage system, subject to compliance with the exercise of lawful authority granted to or rules adopted by the director of environmental protection pursuant to section 6111.03 of the Revised Code, shall exercise primary authority to adopt, amend, rescind, administer, and enforce rules with respect to all of the following:
1. (1) The establishment, construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair, operation, and maintenance of its sewerage systems, treatment works, and disposal systems;
2. (2) The establishment and modification of rates or charges to be made of users of its sewerage systems, treatment works, and disposal systems, which need not be uniform throughout the territory served by the systems or works, to assure that the systems and works will be properly and efficiently operated and maintained; that the principal of and interest on bonds, notes, and certificates of indebtedness will be timely paid; and that reserves and other terms and conditions required by any ordinance, resolution, mortgage, or trust agreement with respect to debt obligations will be met;
3. (3) Industrial water pollution control facilities discharging into its sewerage systems, treatment works, and disposal systems;
4. (4) The establishment, operation, administration, and enforcement of its publicly owned treatment works pretreatment program, including inspection, monitoring, and reporting programs and activities.
(B) The rules adopted by the legislative authority or governing board pursuant to division (A) of this section shall be applicable, and enforceable by civil or other actions, within any territory served by its sewerage systems, treatment works, or disposal systems regardless of whether the territory served is within the territorial boundaries of the municipal corporation, county, or special district, provided that the rules are consistent with the provisions of any contracts or agreements in effect with other municipal corporations, counties, or special districts served by or on whose behalf the publicly owned treatment works or sewerage systems are owned or operated, in whole or in part.
(C) The director, by rule or through contracts or other means, may authorize a municipal corporation, county, or special district that owns or operates a publicly owned treatment works or sewerage system and that has an approved program under this section to operate, administer, and enforce an industrial pretreatment program, to review and approve industrial permits to install in connection with indirect discharges by industrial users of its treatment works or sewerage system.
(D) The authority granted to municipal corporations, counties, and special districts by this section is in addition to and not in derogation of any other authority granted pursuant to the Constitution and laws of this state, the "Federal Water Pollution Control Act," or the rules of any agency of federal or state governments.