Bay Village officials report heavy rains, basement calls and ongoing waterline replacements

At the April 6 council meeting, Director of Public Service and Properties Mary Kay Costello summarized a storm event that delivered sharp, concentrated rainfall and led to multiple service requests for water in basements.

"On March 31, 2026, approximately one half inch of rain fell in 15 minutes, 1.2 inches in two hours, and by the end of the day, 2.6 inches. The next day the rain continued for a total of 5.3 inches of rain during that 48 hours, resulting in water in the streets," Costello said. She reported 12 calls for water in basements and said service staff cross-referenced those addresses with properties that had previously made sewer-line improvements and found none of the affected properties were on the improvement list.

Costello cautioned that tree roots in laterals can cause backups and recommended routine maintenance; she said the Service Department will respond to diagnose wet-basement reports though lateral maintenance remains the owner’s responsibility. The Mayor added that when Cleveland Water Department replaces a water line, the city crew finishes road repairs and bills Cleveland Water for that work.

Mayor Koomar told council that the city received "another mile of water lines from the Cleveland Water Department, equating to about $1.7 million," and that the city has seen roughly $5.5 million — about three miles — of water-line replacement since the program began. Council members heard that repeated breaks in certain neighborhoods had drawn significant service resources and that the city hopes replacing worst-affected stretches will create efficiencies for the Service Department.

Council directed staff to continue diagnostic responses to wet-basement reports and to pursue smoke-and-dye testing (authorized separately by ordinance) to identify sources of infiltration into the sewer system.