Lakewood Reaches Agreement With Ohio EPA Over Stormwater Management

The city of Lakewood has reached an agreement with the Ohio EPA in an eight-year plan to continue the city’s progress under the Clean Water Act of 1972. 

The state’s environmental agency approved a permit that will enable the city to improve the city’s stormwater management and reduce wastewater overflows into the Rocky River and Lake Erie.

“No one more than the city of Lakewood desires to do our part to improve the cleanliness of our local watershed, especially our wonderful Lake Erie,” said Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers. “This agreement, under the form of a permit, advances our performance toward this goal.”

Lakewood’s combined sewers are designed to take all wastewater to the treatment plant, which can process more than 30 million gallons per day. However, during storms, the volume of rainwater entering the combined sewer system can exceed both the capacity of the combined sewers and the treatment plant. The new agreement includes plans for sewer separation projects and wastewater treatment investments.

The next eight years of work will include additional monitoring of the combined overflows, continued mapping of the 100-year-old sewer system and planning for the increased capacity at the wastewater treatment facility.

“More importantly, it also includes opportunities for green infrastructure solutions such as bio-swales, tree strategies, source control from the house to the street, and other creative storm management strategies,” added Summers.

Lakewood isn’t alone in upgrading its systems. Many cities across the nation have found themselves under federal court orders to make investments for similar improvements. Sometimes these investments are neither the best engineering solution nor affordable. 

During the past three years, Lakewood’s team worked diligently to craft common-sense solutions — backed by solid engineering — to remain out of court and under the administrative direction of both the federal and state environmental agencies.

“We’re pleased to have completed this stage of the process with our willing partners in the U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA,” said Lakewood Law Director Kevin Butler, who worked with outside attorney Lou McMahon to negotiate on behalf of the city. 

“Any solution that avoids the expense and vagaries of litigation is better for Lakewood’s taxpayers.”