Blueprint Columbus outlines Clintonville sewer lining, warns residents of easement impacts

Cameron Keir, a lead with Blueprint Columbus, told a full house at Whetstone High School that the city is moving ahead with a limited-scope mainline and sanitary lateral-lining project in Clintonville to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and basement backups. "When the rainwater interacts with our sanitary sewer system, we can get basement backups, we can get sewer overflows," Keir said, and lining prevents stormwater from entering cracked laterals and mains.

Keir said the program stems from a sanitary sewer overflow consent order the city first addressed in 2002 and framed Blueprint as a neighborhood-focused alternative that uses interior pipe rehabilitation rather than large-scale excavation. He said the Clintonville work currently focuses on lining mains first, then laterals and installing sump pumps to move water away from foundations.

Project engineer Payman Majidi walked through the four phases residents will see: 1) locating manholes, cleaning and CCTV inspection; 2) CIPP lining (inserting and curing a new liner inside the existing pipe); 3) follow-up cleaning and televising and reinstatement of lateral connections; and 4) manhole rehabilitation and surface restoration. Majidi said the lining step can take "between 6, 8 hours up to 24 hours" but that "90-plus percent of the time the services are cut back in within 8 to 12 hours." He warned homeowners to avoid heavy water usage (showers, washing machines, multiple toilet flushes) during lining and recommended keeping water in drain P-traps to limit resin odor entry.

On property impacts, Keir and contractor representatives said crews will try to minimize equipment in backyards but easement access is required. "If you have a manhole, 100% chance you will see an impact from this project," Keir said; contractors added that large trucks typically remain on the roadway and crews can pull hoses or smaller equipment into yards when feasible. They stressed a homeowner meeting will occur for any point repair requiring excavation and that the City follows a tree policy for replacement (minimum one-for-one).

Keir estimated combining lateral lining with the City's sump pump program can add roughly $15,000 to $20,000 in home value for affected properties. He also emphasized restoration practices: reseeding lawns, replacing sheds and fences where necessary, and multiple follow-up checks where point repairs occur.

Before closing, staff stressed outreach steps homeowners should expect: letters, door hangers, surveyors in high-visibility gear, 5-day and 48-hour notices for work, and knocks on doors when gates are locked. Keir asked residents to respond to notifications, secure pets, and allow gate access so crews can keep block schedules on track. The presentation transitioned to an open-house format for property-specific questions with engineers stationed to review plans.

The open-house and Q&A covered follow-up items including map availability for manholes (staff said detailed engineering maps are restricted for critical infrastructure but will be reviewed privately), coordination with other utilities, and how alleys and driveways will be managed during daytime work. The meeting adjourned into the open-house portion with engineers available for individual property questions.