LIST: 5 things you'll learn following our #SewerU November 10

We're hosting our first-ever Sewer University (SewerU) presentation to a capacity crowd of nearly 120 guests on November 10, and if you haven't registered, you'll be able to follow the discussion on Twitter @neorsd #SewerU.

The goal is to bring the underground and often misunderstood sewer network and its function to the surface to better explain how our lives are affected by this critical infrastructure. Here are 5 topics we'll cover that may interest you.

LISTEN: "The lake is burning." Is toxic algae the Cuyahoga River fire of our generation?

Lake Erie algae recently had WTAM's Mike Trivisonno all worked up. We know the feeling.

After an August show in which Trivisonno railed against the hazards of the toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie's western basin, one of our experts phoned in to talk more about its causes and long-term solutions.

Frank Greenland, the Director of Watershed Programs who oversees the Environmental Services staff responsible for monitoring local algal trends, spoke frankly about the dangers caused by the blooms and how they could compare to infamous Cuyahoga River fire of 1969.



"When you're boating in pea soup, you want to throw up," Greenland said. As an avid fisherman and life-long Clevelander, Frank told Triv he has seen first-hand how water quality has been affected by algae blooms in recent years, and he considers this the "Cuyahoga River fire" of our generation.

PERSPECTIVE: What if a toxic spill the likes of Colorado's #AnimasRiver struck the Cuyahoga?

While the Cuyahoga River has had its share of challenges, none compare to the catastrophe going on in Colorado.

An Environmental Protection Agency project to reduce pollution seeping into the Animas River resulted in a breach that caused an estimated 3 million gallons of gold-mine wastewater to rush into the river, turning the water mustard yellow and leaving officials scrambling to assess the damage while residents seek answers and await test results.

As an agency prepared to respond to HAZMAT situations, I asked our Water Quality & Industrial Surveillance team how we might respond to a disaster like this had anything like it struck the Cuyahoga River.

Scott Broski put it pretty bluntly.

"In terms of control, based on what has been released and the volume, I’m not sure what anyone can do to control a spill of this magnitude." Scott is the Superintendent of Environmental Services, and said a major challenge in this situation is an inability to strategically collect the material.

NEWS: Back to the beach, Memorial Day weekend means daily water tests resume to keep beachgoers safe

Local beaches will be active this summer, and not just with local swimmers.

Starting Memorial Day weekend, Sewer District water-quality investigators will be testing beach water every day to keep you informed if you're planning a day by the lake.

This week, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District resumed daily beach testing at Edgewater, Villa Angela and Euclid Beaches to determine water quality and bacteria levels throughout the summer. Daily testing will continue through September 6, 2014.

What affects water quality at local beaches

Many variables can impact the water quality of the beaches, including the presence of waterfowl at the beach, the influence of Lake Erie currents, the fate of pollutants, like raw sewage, discharged into local water bodies, and stormwater run-off, which can carry motor oil, garbage and other pollutants into local water bodies, too.

BEACHES: Holiday weekend means beach season is back, daily water-quality testing to resume

Local beaches will be flowing with activity this summer, above and beyond the dog-paddling of local swimmers.

On Monday, May 20, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District resumed daily testing at Edgewater, Villa Angela, and Euclid beaches to determine water quality as we prepare for the start of beach season Memorial Day weekend.

There are very few agencies across the US that test recreational beach water quality this frequently, and the results help us better predict factors that affect beach conditions at two very popular Cleveland summer cool-down destinations.

Understanding the variables and testing frequency

Many variables can impact the water quality of the beaches: the presence of water fowl, the influence of Lake Erie currents, the fate of pollutants—like raw sewage—discharged into local water bodies following heavy storms, or stormwater runoff which can carry motor oil, garbage and other pollutants, as well.

"The Sewer District is one of the few agencies in the nation that monitors local water quality on a daily basis," said Sewer District Manager of Analytical Services Mark Citriglia. "Over the years, we’ve significantly enhanced our research at two local beaches—Euclid and Villa Angela—which, historically, have been prone to high bacteria levels, exceeding EPA standards."

VIDEO: "OK, class, we have a film for you today."

Ah, the new school year is upon us. And it brings back memories of science-class filmstrips and the clickety-clack of the projector.

Here's a classic from 1967 called "Journey through a day," in which a young boy spends his day in the great outdoors, interacting with his environment and the many creatures around him. Did you ever spend days like this? Do your kids have days like this today?



Sewer District crews spend days along streamsides, too, mostly monitoring fish and aquatic life for water-quality tests, not diving in after frogs or putting turtles in their pockets like the lad in the video. But the level of enjoyment spending a day in the great outdoors may be comparable.

PHOTO: Weather monitor will track Villa Angela trends

Wind speed, rainfall, wave height, temperature and more data will be collected soon using a new weather-monitoring station being installed at Wildwood Marina in Cleveland.

15 new species found in Cuyahoga River since '06

Fifteen new species of fish and 31 new species of macroinvertebrates found in the Cuyahoga River in the last three years are signs of increased diversity and improving environmental health. These findings and more are available in the our complete 2009 Cuyahoga River Environmental Monitoring report.