Cortland council members on Oct. 6 reviewed ongoing sewer-system problems after an April sewage event triggered a federal notice, and advanced two first-reading ordinances to buy inspection cameras and cellular water meters intended to aid compliance and diagnostics.

The session included an extended discussion of an April 26, 2025 event the city reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the mayor said the city received a letter characterizing the incident as an inflow-and-infiltration or accidental spill and that the city must file required reports under its permit with the Trumbull County sanitary engineer’s office. The mayor told the council the city will provide a written response and that the city’s new lift‑station operator will follow reporting procedures going forward.

Why it matters: Council members and service staff said chronic stormwater infiltration into sanitary lines has driven pumps to far higher use during rain events, increased treatment costs charged by the county and complicated compliance. The discussion tied several agenda items together: smoke testing and dye testing in affected neighborhoods, an asset‑management and operations plan being finalized by the city’s consultant, and two new equipment purchases the mayor submitted for council consideration.

Most important facts: The council conducted a first reading of Ordinance O-58-25 to authorize the mayor to buy two Cues Flexitrack C550 camera systems from Safety Company LLC (doing business as Emtek Company) for sanitary‑sewer inspection, and a first reading of Ordinance O-60-25 to authorize purchase and installation of cellular water/sewer meters and supporting equipment from Metron Smart Meters and Systems. City staff said the camera purchase is on a state purchasing contract; staff said two cameras were recommended because the incremental cost from one to two made operational sense given the different pipe sizes the city inspects. At the meeting staff described smoke testing of the Old Oak area as complete and said dye testing will follow for problem properties.

City staff and a long‑time service employee raised overlapping operational and reporting issues. A service‑department employee who identified himself as having worked extensively on lift stations told council members he had not been trained in reporting procedures and said the system has “traced” stormwater into sanitary lines for years. Council members said smoke testing and the camera equipment will help locate illegal connections and problem links, though one council member noted that some cross‑connections can be missed if a property has certain check valves.

Other details: The city engineer firm GPD is finalizing letters addressing an asset management plan and the city’s operation and maintenance plan in response to the EPA notice. Council members said the city recently repeated fluoride tests after a 2022 sample reported elevated chloride/fluoride levels; the 2025 results were within normal range, and staff said they will convey those results to regulators as part of the response. Staff also noted the city received a $75,000 grant for a new salt dome (capacity ~800 tons) and said that larger dome is expected to reduce winter‑operations risk; the salt‑dome project and other capital work are weather‑dependent.

What remains unresolved: The EPA response and the city’s written follow‑up are pending; staff said the city will provide the required response within the regulatory timelines. Council advanced the two equipment ordinances with motions for first readings; those were moved and seconded at the meeting but require subsequent readings or final action before purchases proceed.

Council members said they will continue smoke testing, follow up with dye testing in affected blocks and use the new inspection cameras and metering data to target repairs and reduce inflow and infiltration.