24/7: Wastewater never takes a holiday

There are no "normal" business hours because, well, people are doing their business at all hours of the day.

Many residents may not realize our three wastewater treatment plants—Southerly in Cuyahoga Heights, and Easterly and Westerly in Cleveland—are operated by staff working around the clock to treat wastewater and protect public health and the environment.


Most of our support services have Federal holidays like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, but operations and security staff are on hand at all times. That includes holidays, weekends, snow days, and every other day of the year.

On snowy weekends like this one in Cleveland, operations staff also must pay close attention to weather patterns: Snow may not mean an immediate increase in the amount of stormwater flowing into treatment plants from the Cleveland area, but as it begins to melt, flows increase, sometimes significantly.

It was around this time last year when Southerly was overwhelmed by a combination of stormwater, melting snow, and saturated ground which led to a flooding situation endangering plant processes and damaging equipment. Plant personnel responded quickly and professionally to protect each other and the environment.

So while children may be off on a snow day, or administrative offices may be closed on a holiday, rest assured that the Sewer District's processes and people keep working around the clock to keep our Great Lake great.