NOTICE: 24-hour construction in Garfield Heights to repair culvert, reduce pollution

Beginning the week of February 27 through the first week of April, Sewer District contractor Nerone & Sons, Inc. will work around the clock on a construction project at Wolf Creek near the intersection of Henry Street and Southern Avenue. The work will help reduce pollution by capturing more flow in the Mill Creek Tunnel system during heavy rainstorms.

Due to the nature of this work—preventing damage to existing structures and the creek banks—Nerone & Sons is required to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to complete this phase of the project. This may result in some noise disturbances, and overhead lights will be used after dark to enhance visibility.

The Sewer District will take every precaution to minimize the impact to residents and businesses. If you have any questions, call our Customer Service department at (216) 881-8247 and reference Mill Creek Tunnel at Wolf Creek

STORMWATER: Court rules program can move forward, charge fee for services

On February 15, 2012, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Thomas J. Pokorny issued an opinion in the case of Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District vs. Bath Township, Ohio, et al. (CV-10-714945).

This is the second ruling from Judge Pokorny reaffirming the Sewer District’s authority to implement a regional Stormwater Management Program; the first ruling occurred in April 2011.

The February 15 ruling includes the following:

• The Sewer District’s Stormwater Management Program fee is authorized under Chapter 6119 of the Ohio Revised Code; the charges proposed are ruled a fee—and not a tax—as the Defendants argued,
• Defendants’ Motion for Permanent Injunction was denied, and
• Judge Pokorny determined that the City of Hudson is a member of the Sewer District.

[Download Judge Thomas J. Pokorny's opinion]

TRIVIA: The answer behind the surge

Our Facebook page followers saw a question we posted earlier today:

Wondering how Super Bowl viewing affects water usage—would usage surge during halftime or post-game when viewers hit the restroom?—we asked a superintendent for a flow report for last Sunday. We didn't see a game-to-flow correlation in our Westerly plant's report, but you'll notice little surges throughout the day (marked by arrows in the photo above). What do you think causes them? Give us your guess.

A few guesses came in, but here's the real answer.