GREEN: Can green make a lot of difference? Parking improvements will manage stormwater in Slavic Village

Green infrastructure grant funds contribute to a more sustainable neighborhood design

Slavic Village Development commemorated the start of construction of a new parking lot along Fleet Avenue with a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, May 8. The parking lot, located at 6305 Fleet Avenue, directly east of Seven Roses Polish Delicatessen, includes a lot with permeable paver patio and bioretention features.

The lot will reduce impervious area in the neighborhood by 1,000 square feet: 300 square feet of bioretention features and a 600-square-foot patio will help infiltrate 30,000 gallons of stormwater into the ground each year.

In 2015, Slavic Village Development was awarded a Green Infrastructure Grant from the Sewer District to help fund this project. The $43,814 grant is approximately half of the entire project cost. The grants are available to communities and non-profit organizations in the Combined Sewer Area who are interested in implementing water resource projects that remove stormwater from the combined sewer system.

Green Infrastructure includes stormwater source control measures that store, filter, infiltrate or evapotranspirate stormwater to increase resiliency of infrastructure by reducing stress on wet-weather drainage and collection systems which increase co-benefits in support of healthy environments and strong communities.

The parking lot is expected to be complete by early July.

NEWS: $7.2 million to improve water quality by supporting local infrastructure investments

New program to fund community sewer projects that impact public health, environment

@neorsd file photo

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Trustees recently awarded $7.2 million to 12 communities as part of the agency’s newly-launched Member Community Infrastructure Program (MCIP).

The MCIP assists communities with local infrastructure improvements — including new sewer infrastructure, repairs to reduce infiltration and inflow (leaking pipes) and remove failing septic systems from the environment — to improve the region’s water quality, public health and the environment.

The Sewer District continues to invest billions of dollars into large, regional infrastructure projects such as Project Clean Lake, the 25-year capital program to drastically reduce the amount of combined sewage entering local waterways during heavy rains. In addition to Project Clean Lake, the Sewer District is also investing in new relief sewers, making improvements to existing interceptor sewers and solving stormwater problems that not only cause flooding and streambank erosion, but negatively impact water quality.

"The projects we are funding through the Member Community Infrastructure Program will address impacts to human health and the environment from aging local sewer infrastructure,” said Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Deputy Director of Watershed Programs. “We are very pleased to partner with these communities to move these great projects forward."

PROJECTS: 7 things to know about green infrastructure projects in East Cleveland

Sewer projects often are much more than sewers. And solutions can be found beyond the construction sites many are used to.

One of our current projects scheduled for this year is happening in part in East Cleveland, a combination of sewer and green-infrastructure construction that will reduce pollution to local waterways.

The project name is a mouthful: The East 140th Street Consolidation and Relief Sewers project, or E140CRS.

Media and residents have asked questions about the project plans, so we wanted to offer seven important points about the project's origin, benefits, and approach to clear any confusion.

1. Cleveland is built on old (but maintained) sewer network known as combined sewers. 

We start at the beginning, a long time ago. Combined sewers carry stormwater and sewage in the same pipe, a design that dates back to the early 1900s; it was effective for moving and collecting wastewater back in the day.

Combined sewer overflows result because the sewer system in East Cleveland—and other older, urban communities—is not equipped to handle the mixture of stormwater and sanitary sewage that results from significant rain events. When the sewers reach capacity, they overflow to the environment at relief points called combined sewer overflows. Overflows affect the environment, water quality, and public health.

OUTREACH: Educational roadshows coming to a community near you this spring

Over the next five years, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is making a huge investment in Greater Cleveland.

Whether it’s tunnels, sewers, pump stations, stormwater solutions or green infrastructure, we are making improvements to keep our Great Lake great.

To help our ratepayers understand what this investment means to them, we will host meetings throughout our 62-community Service Area. Representatives will be available to discuss a variety of topics, including:

• Construction plans
• Stormwater management
• Business and career opportunities
• Rates, how rates are determined, and cost-saving programs
• Water quality issues and challenges
• How we treat and monitor water quality to manage more than 90 billion gallons of sanitary sewage each year

All are welcome. UPDATE April 5, 2016: Communication prior today may have included different dates. The information below is the latest.

Thursday, May 19
Nordonia High School
5:00-7:00 p.m.
8006 South Bedford Road
Macedonia

Wednesday, May 25
Tri-C West Campus
5:00-7:00 p.m.
11000 Pleasant Valley Road
Parma, Ohio 44130
B Atrium in Building B

Saturday, June 4
Tri-C East Campus
9:00 a.m.-Noon
4250 Richmond Road
Highland Hills, Ohio 44122
Student Services Building / Presidents Plaza

Wednesday, June 8
Tri-C Metro Campus
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Jerry Sue Thornton Center
2500 East 22nd Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Ford Room

VIDEO: How are rates determined? / Download a PDF

EVENT: #2016outreach contractor opportunities event draws overflow crowd

Contract Compliance Officer Diana Jones greets guests January 21.

Construction contractors from Northeast Ohio and across the Midwest came to Cleveland recently to hear details about $140 million in construction projects presented by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

Sewer District engineers rolled out plans for nearly a dozen construction projects—including the Dugway South Relief and Consolidation Sewer in Cleveland and East Cleveland—on Thursday, January 21, at the Centers for Families and Children in Cleveland.

“We were very pleased with the significant turn out for this outreach event” said Tiffany Jordan, manager of contracts and compliance. “It was exciting to see the diverse businesses and operators in the room."

You can hear the full event podcast courtesy Diane Helbig below.

TUNNELS: Devotion to St. Barbara is a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of tunneling

When tunnel workers began their Euclid Creek Tunnel shifts by brassing in—a safety practice of moving a small brass disc from one side of a signboard to another to signify they are heading underground—they passed an unassuming paragraph of text masking-taped to the corner of the painted plywood.

Oh dear St. Barbara, bring us grace and bless us with your everlasting devotion. Protect us from danger and accidental death, and protect us from the evils of this world.

Brassing in and out atop the Euclid Creek Tunnel shaft.

The text is a traditional prayer of Saint Barbara, a third-century Christian martyr who is considered the patron saint of underground workers. Devotions to St. Barbara date back to the "earliest mining traditions" which continue even today.

"December 4th is her feast day," said our Senior Construction Supervisor Ryan Sullivan who is working closely with the Dugway Storage Tunnel project. "The contractors usually find some way to mark the day."

Other traditions are more recent but just as prevalent in the tunneling community, including the practice of naming tunnel boring machines. Just as a boat is christened and named, these large drilling machines that burrow deep underground are traditionally named after a female as a sign of luck and respect.

Our Euclid Creek Tunnel was bored by the TBM named Mackenzie, the same machine that will dig the Dugway Storage Tunnel beginning next year. She is currently being rehabilitated in preparation for her three-mile-long, 24-foot-wide tunneling journey.

We had a chance yesterday to visit our old friend Mackenzie, the tunnel boring machine that dug our Euclid Creek Tunnel. She's in the process of being rehabilitated to be relaunched for a new project, the Dugway Storage Tunnel, next year.

A photo posted by NE Oh Regional Sewer District (@neorsd) on Dec 3, 2015 at 9:55am PST

Mackenzie finished the Euclid Creek Tunnel in 2013, but the tunnel was not fully complete ($3.6 million under budget) until this year.

VIDEO: What's happening under Public Square in Cleveland?

Behind the concrete barriers and orange construction fencing at the corner of Superior and Ontario, there is an overwhelming amount of activity taking place to renovate Public Square.

Cleveland.com showcased aerial images of the site's progress in a recent story as crews rush to take advantage of good weather to stay on schedule for a 2016 completion. But what's happening underground?

Often overlooked is the infrastructure that will help improve water quality and manage stormwater at the same time, innovations that will increase greenspace on the site and promote sustainability.

Stormwater Technical Specialist David Ritter recently took us behind the barriers to give us an idea of how this "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity that began last October is taking shape and how sewer improvements have a positive effect on Lake Erie.

"The Sewer District saw this as an opportunity to manage stormwater in a highly urbanized environment," Ritter said, "and was able to work with [partners] to leverage the work that was already going on here at Public Square."

WATCH: Here's what a 260-foot crane ride looks like.

When you talk about underground work, "heights" are not something that comes to mind. But to get into and out of our Tunnel Dewatering Pump Station project in Bratenahl, workers need to take this crane ride that may leave some of you catching your breath.

PROFILES: "I feel privileged to be a part of this program." Meet the second class of Good Neighbor Ambassadors

Good Neighbor Ambassadors work as liaisons between the Sewer District, various community and business organizations, and the general public.

The focus of this second class of Ambassadors is to address concerns of residents in the Glenville area during Project Clean Lake's Dugway Storage Tunnel construction. [See a full map of Dugway construction through 2019 planned or in progress]

They will also help install seasonal “high tunnel” greenhouses for growing crops and, in partnership with Cleveland Public Library, they will create reading gardens in the community.

Here's a little more about the latest class that started with us this spring.

Andre Wells
Andre grew up in the Glenville area and played Cleveland Muny League football at Glenville High School. He’s enthusiastic about having a larger role in the community. “I’m no longer just a resident,” Wells said.

“I have a role that can positively influence the community.” He also expressed his gratitude for what our program offers. “I can get training, go back to school, and get tuition reimbursement. I want to take full advantage of every opportunity given to me.”

Taylor Miller
As a Glenville resident, Taylor has seen the impact of construction on the neighborhood. Her curiosity about the construction and her interest in wastewater management led her to attend a Dugway Project community meeting. There she learned about the Good Neighbor program, and also saw how many people, like herself, had questions about the project.

“I feel privileged to be a part of this program, helping my community understand what is happening in our neighborhood,” Miller said.

PROJECTS: About the Fairhill/MLK Green Ambassador Project in Cleveland

Known as the Fairhill-MLK Green Infrastructure Ambassador Project on the northeast corner of Fairhill Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Cleveland, this functional and aesthetic project will control stormwater and reduce the amount of water reaching the combined sewer system.

Green infrastructure includes a range of stormwater control measures—plant/soil systems, permeable pavement or other forms of stormwater harvest and reuse—to store, infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce flows to the combined sewer system. It's an integral part of Project Clean Lake.

Existing conditions at Fairhill-MLK

The Project includes construction of a large basin and installation of new, separate storm sewers along E. 124 Street and portions of Fairhill Road, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Britton Drive, Mt. Overlook Avenue and E. 126 Street. It will manage 17 million gallons of stormwater in a typical year.

Sewer District representatives have held three public meetings offering attendees the opportunity to not only provide their opinion on the project, but also choose many of the aesthetic features.

UPDATE: This pre-construction public-meeting slide deck was presented to the community March 25, 2015. Prior slides describe Project Clean Lake and related work; subsequent slides present greater detail on the design and function of this project.

Fairhill/MLK pre-construction public meeting 3-25-2015 from Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

ANTICIPATED ROAD CLOSURES:
[View full size]

RELATED STORIES:

• HISTORY: What is Project Clean Lake? / Video
• VIDEO: What is a combined sewer overflow?
• ABOUT: 7 reasons our Project Clean Lake plan was a groundbreaking agreement

EVENT: East Cleveland community meeting will discuss upcoming green projects this Thursday 11/20

On Thursday, November 20, at 5:30 p.m., the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will host a meeting for East Cleveland residents and business owners to discuss a future green infrastructure project, the “East 140th Street South Green Infrastructure Projects.”

The meeting will take place at the East Cleveland Public Library (14101 Euclid Ave., East Cleveland). Sewer District representatives will discuss possible neighborhood amenities and gather input from residents and the local business community.

Green Infrastructure project locations include:

• Near Euclid Avenue and Page Avenue
• Near Hayden Avenue and Scioto Avenue
• Near Hayden Avenue and 1st Avenue.

PHOTOS: 11 images of the underground wonders of unseen infrastructure

The underground is full of wonders to behold. But c'mon, don't break the law to behold them.

An art and architecture publisher recently printed a book featuring stunning photos of London's underground infrastructure. The catch, according to the editor, is that the photos were taken "without permission from anyone," which can pose a number of safety and legal issues.

While we don't advocate unauthorized sewer spelunking expeditions, we completely understand the intrigue of the hidden architectural wonders of a sewer system. The handiwork, the engineering, the labor involved, it really can be amazing.

Here are some of our favorite recent images showcasing these characteristics of our own system hidden below northeast Ohio. These images were taken by our employees or contractors.

SOURCES: Latest tunnel construction project to be powered by giant hamster wheel. Or not.

Not an Onion headline, just fun with an already great photo.

When our Director of Engineering & Construction Kellie Rotunno tweeted her original pic earlier in the week, posting progress on our enormous Euclid Creek Tunnel project, it got our wheels spinning.

Wholly ring beams batman! Check out this 30 ton form for @neorsd's #ECT which will reduce #CSO from #greatLake Erie. pic.twitter.com/EMof0XwWcf
— Kellie Rotunno (@KellieRotunno) September 8, 2014

In reality, Kellie explained that the 30-ton rebar frame is being lowered into a Euclid Creek Tunnel shaft to connect the shaft with the three-mile tunnel itself. Once in place, the form will be lined with concrete.

We'd need a whole lotta hamsters to power something like a tunnel boring machine, but we are consistently looking for ways to make our Project Clean Lake program smarter and more sustainable.

GREEN: Understanding the spectrum, our shade of green must be smart stormwater solutions [#neorsdGREEN]

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District actively engages in GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE projects that promote smart stormwater solutions.

Our smart stormwater solutions always consider the following four criteria: 

COST

As responsible stewards of our customers' money, we take into account the cost vs. the benefits of different methods of stormwater control—whether to go gray (build a tunnel) or green (construct a bioretention feature).

SITE CHARACTERISTICS

The decision of whether to build a tunnel or construct a bioretention feature depends on the particular characteristics of any one site and any one combined-sewer area. These characteristics include:

LOOK: Wherever you are, look down. This could be happening under your feet right now.

Next time you see a manhole in the street, think about the work it took to build the system beneath it.

This picture from March helps tell some of that story.

NEWS: Multi-year project will expand treatment capacity by 70 million gallons

In 2013, Lakeshore Boulevard residents and passers-by witnessed a significant amount of construction activity related to our Project Clean Lake consent decree.

The commotion will not end anytime soon. Several new projects at Easterly begin this month, “as soon as the weather breaks,” according to Construction Program Manager Doug Gabriel.

The largest of these projects are the Easterly Secondary System Improvements (ESSI, red area on map above). To increase the plant’s capacity for processing wastewater—from 330 million gallons per day to 400 million gallons—six additional settling tanks will be installed, seen as black circles on the map.

QUIZ: Which tunnel boring machine are you?

So Buzzfeed won't create our buzzquiz ideas. No biggie. We made our own. Just scroll down and click "Let's Play!" to get started.

PHOTO: Safety first, top hats are a priority.

Quite dapper for a sewer tunnel tour, no?

These gents were friends of English civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette attending a tour of the main drainage works of his new London Sewage System in 1862.

Tours of anything similar today are accompanied by hard hats rather than top hats, but historical images like this do convey the significance of these infrastructural achievements.

Huzzah, ol' boy!

INSIGHT: The past, present and future of Project Clean Lake's "green alternatives"

Gray, green, or in between? For us, that's an important question.

cleveland.com has been presenting a series of articles focused on Project Clean Lake, our 25-year $3 billion plan to reduced combined sewer overflow pollution. The stories have covered the agreement's history and raised questions about "green alternatives" we may or may not have considered along the way.

In response, we've blogged about the alternatives we considered in the early 2000s, as well as the groundbreaking nature of our eventual agreement that allows us to evaluate and increase green-infrastructure implementation where it makes the most sense, both financially and environmentally.

Let's take a closer look at those points for a moment to better understand how green fits in the scene.

NEWS: "Is there a cheaper, greener way?" Let's take a look. #neorsdGREEN

A story posted today on cleveland.com asks the question, "Is there a cheaper, greener way" to prevent billions of gallons of sewage and stormwater from polluting Lake Erie?

It's the first in a series of articles set to look at the financial, green, and comparative aspects of our 25-year program known as Project Clean Lake [video], an effort to reduce combined sewer overflows that affect our Great Lake during heavy storms.

The article raises good questions and we hope continues to further productive conversation about our water resources and how they must be protected responsibly. But there four quotes from the story that could benefit from more perspective.