Engineers tell Stow City council Echo Road drainage needs upstream and downstream fixes; upsizing Highwood sewer could cost about $500,000

Engineers who performed a months‑long stormwater study for the Echo Road neighborhood told Stow City officials on June 26 that recurring basement flooding is driven by undersized sewer pipes in the eastern drainage area and a constrained open channel downstream in Monroe Falls.

The study presentation, delivered by Kyle Riggenbach and Pete Nieuwjebauer of engineering firm DLZ, mapped three drainage subareas that ultimately discharge to the Cuyahoga River and showed two sewer surcharge locations plus one open‑channel capacity problem in Monroe Falls. Riggenbach said Highwood’s sewer would need to be upsized to a 48‑inch pipe to carry the eastern drainage flows, and that downstream channel improvements in Monroe Falls must be completed first for the upsized sewer to function as intended.

That combination of undersized sewer and restricted channel, DLZ said, explains why the neighborhood repeatedly records street ponding and basement backups. Riggenbach described soils in the project area as “mostly clays with a very thin layer of topsoil,” which make infiltration negligible and cause rapid sheet flow toward the low spots. He also noted record pipes, including an unusual 39‑inch segment installed in 1959, remain under capacity for present drainage areas.

DLZ recommended several incremental fixes city staff could pursue quickly and at lower cost than reconstructing curb/gutter and full sewer rebuilds. Those options included installing targeted relief sewers in low spots (for example a relief that would take flow from a 3.75‑acre low spot and redirect it to Pinehurst) and extending an existing relief sewer between Maple and Echo to drain an oft‑flooded yard area. A localized solution near Echo Road was estimated as a Class‑4 estimate at about $160,000; the Highwood sewer upsizing alone was described as a Class‑5 (order‑of‑magnitude) construction estimate of about $500,000.

Councilmembers pressed staff on whether an ongoing State Route 91 reconstruction project could be used as an opportunity to replace the undersized 15‑inch outfall in the western drainage area. Don, a service department representative, said the 91 project plans were completed before the study and do not include storm‑sewer work at that pinch point, though the city will investigate whether any storm elements are possible when the road work begins next year.

DLZ and councilmembers emphasized chronology for benefits: “You build from the outlet back toward the inlets,” Assistant City Engineer Kyle Jones said, repeating a point made by councilmembers that improving the Monroe Falls channel (the outlet) is the cost‑effective first step before upsizing Highwood. Riggenbach agreed, saying channel widening and stabilization are among the more economical ways to increase capacity but require permitting and coordination with downstream owners.

James Houston, an Echo Road resident, spoke during public comment and confirmed repeated standing water in his yard and concerns about property‑level access during construction. Riggenbach clarified the detention basin shown in the study was considered but not recommended as a standalone solution because the flat topography prevented sufficient depth for storage and discharge without extensive new sewers.

Council and staff directed a short follow‑up plan: (1) inspect the 91 outfall (including a camera inspection) before the 91 reconstruction opens the road next year, (2) pursue an interlocal conversation with Monroe Falls about channel improvements, and (3) request engineering cost estimates to break the study’s recommendations into four smaller, fundable projects for the committee’s next report.

The committee did not take a formal vote to adopt any construction immediately; instead members asked staff and DLZ to return with cost breakdowns and a schedule for next steps.