Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District briefs Cuyahoga County committee on Project Clean Lake, stormwater programs

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District on Tuesday told the Cuyahoga County Council Operations, IT and Public Transportation committee it is advancing major wastewater and regional stormwater efforts, including the long-running Project Clean Lake and a multi-year member-community infrastructure grant program.

Matt Trevor, director of watershed programs for the district, told the committee the district serves 62 member communities across four counties, is governed by a seven‑member board and operates three large wastewater treatment plants—Easterly in Bratenahl, Westerly near Edgewater Park in Cleveland and Southerly in Cuyahoga Heights. Trevor said the southerly plant sits on more than 200 acres and is among the largest facilities of its kind in Ohio.

Trevor summarized Project Clean Lake as a roughly $3,000,000,000 program spanning about 25 years under a federal consent decree intended to reduce combined sewer overflows to Lake Erie. "That program was really kicked off in 2010," Trevor said, and the district is aiming for about a 98% capture rate of combined sewage when the program is complete. He described seven planned tunnels—five constructed or under construction—ranging from a few miles to four miles in length and roughly 100 to 200 feet deep.

The district also described its regional stormwater management program, which Trevor said had an operating budget of about $58,000,000 last year funded by impervious-surface fees. The program maintains about 489 miles of stream network, has developed master plans identifying roughly $1,600,000,000 in projects, and returns 25% of collected municipal stormwater fees through a community cost-share reimbursement program. "Since 2013 we have moved out about $60,000,000 worth of local community cost share," Trevor said.

Trevor highlighted the member community infrastructure grant program, launched in 2017, which the district's board authorized to award $25,000,000 in the current funding round. The grants typically require a 25% local match; the program also includes an equity investment track that lowers the match requirement for less‑resourced communities. Trevor said the program has helped remove roughly 2,000 home sewage treatment systems, addressed more than 4,000 basement backup or flooding issues, produced about 63 miles of rebuilt local sewer, and invested roughly $106,000,000 in 134 public projects with local match bringing total regional investment to about $212 million.

Examples discussed included a multi‑phase septic‑abatement project in Parma (Linden Lane), Sheldon Road work on Abram Creek (a road‑raising and new culvert project planned for construction in 2026, with some federal funding), a Vaughn Road project coordinating with Summit County to improve bridge and roadway conveyance, and a $3,000,000 Hemlock Creek stream restoration in Seven Hills that included voluntary acquisition of residential properties to restore the floodplain.

Committee members asked about service-area boundaries, whether communities have their own wastewater plants, and options to help households on septic systems connect to sewers. Trevor said 57 of the district's 62 communities participate in the stormwater program, some municipalities operate their own wastewater plants (for example Solon and Twinsburg), and the district provides grants and coordinates with boards of health to fund sewer extensions where hydraulically feasible. A councilmember asked whether reaching a 98% capture rate would make the district "state of the art"; Trevor said the district would be among the best in the country and noted other Great Lakes cities are also under federal consent decrees.

Trevor introduced staff present for the committee—Crystal Davis (government affairs), watershed team leaders Nicole Velez and Anne Schilling, Donna Friedman (manager of community watershed coordination) and Keith McClintock (manager of watershed funding)—and described utility assistance fairs and cost‑savings programs that connect customers with public and private bill‑reduction resources.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the minutes from the 04/15/2025 meeting on a voice vote after a motion by the chair (name not specified) and a second from a councilmember (name not specified). No other formal actions were recorded.

The committee did not take further action on the district's presentation. The chair moved to adjourn after the presentation.