RATES: 2015 rates take effect January 1, find out if you qualify for cost-saving programs

On January 1, 2015, our Cleveland sewer rate increases to $69.65 per MCF (1,000 cubic feet of water or 7,480 gallons) and suburban rates increase to $71.75 per MCF. See the full rate schedule.

Reduced rates are available to customers who meet Homestead or Affordability Program criteria. We also have other cost-saving programs available.

The increases seen in the 2012-2016 rate schedule are due to major construction projects and a 25-year program to reduce combined sewer overflows known as Project Clean Lake. We will conduct a study in 2015 to determine the next rate schedule slated to begin in 2017.

NEWS: Puppy with a badge, new K-9 officer Storm will train for safety, outreach

The Sewer District has begun training a canine officer for work in our Security department, for infrastructure safety and community outreach.

Storm, a two-month-old German Shepherd pup, was brought on board December 15. He will be trained this year as an explosive-detection and human-tracking dog, for security, and emergency-recovery purposes at the District and throughout the region.

Besides infrastructure and employee safety—and the potential for regional collaboration with other K-9 units—Storm will be a unique addition to our outreach efforts, helping promote our PUP program and customer engagement at community events.

FEATURE: Eric's sewer cover design will be a fixture on Project Clean Lake green infrastructure

People are going to look down on and walk all over Eric's artwork for years to come, and those aren't criticisms.

Eric Shebestak of Parma won our Manhole Cover Design Contest over the summer, meaning his illustration will be cast on storm-sewer manhole covers next year as part of several Project Clean Lake green infrastructure projects.

He recently stopped by to pick up his prize and talk with us about the project.

"I work with First Energy along the lake," he said, "so water quality is very important to me, I see it every day."

VIDEO: Sing along with the #12clogs of Christmas

Sinks, toilets, and drains in general tend to get a little extra work during the holidays, especially if you're hosting house guests.

That's why we created our #12clogs of Christmas infographic last year, and now have put it to song, to help you remember what to keep out of your toilets and drains.

RELATED STORIES:

• INFOGRAPHIC: 12 clogs of Christmas
• TIPS: 15 things not to flush
• WHY? Here's why water lines burst the way they do.
• HOME: 10 tips to protect your plumbing when entertaining this Christmas

Special thanks to Ruthie Spearman and Michael Uva for the audio!

LIST: Flush or fiction? 5 of our favorite toilet bowl myths and legends

Handy wipes are flushable: False.

They may say flushable on the package. They are common in bathrooms across the country. But because disposable wipes don't break down in the sewer system like toilet paper does, they can clog a home's plumbing and cause major issues in city treatment systems. Throw wipes in the trash rather than the toilet.

A city sewer system failed when the flow surged beyond capacity during a Super Bowl halftime show: False.

It's a legend that resurfaces every January as teams vie for the big game, but legend is all it is. Green Bay Metro Sewer District said even under the most extreme restroom-rush conditions, the likelihood of a major metropolitan sewer system being unable to handle the flow is slim to none.

Toilet water can splash onto your toothbrush: True.

The Discovery Channel's Mythbusters team proved aerosol droplets released from a flushing toilet can be shown to affect surfaces in restrooms. But the test also showed the reaches to which fecal bacteria can be found all throughout the house, something we're well aware of.

RELATED STORIES

• TECH: How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?
• VIDEO: How does the International Space Station toilet actually work?
• HISTORY: What were bathrooms like in 1776?
• TIPS: 15 things you shouldn't flush (but probably do)

The rotation of the earth changes the direction water flows around a toilet bowl: False.

Does the direction of a toilet bowl's spinning water change depending on the hemisphere you're in? No. The earth's rotation does cause something known as the Coriolis effect, but the force of a flushing drain is, as How Stuff Works explains, "much too great to be influenced by something as miniscule as a single, 360-degree turn over the span of a day."

You should flush old or outdated medications down the toilet rather than just throwing them away: False.

Flushing pharmaceutical products is harmful to our water resources. Wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove these medications from the sewage, which means they end up in our waterways. It's best to drop old and unused medications in safe disposal locations and community collection events so they can be disposed of properly.