A major new infrastructure program to reduce or treat raw sewage flowing into Cleveland-area waterways and Lake Erie will move forward, as a result of a Clean Water Act settlement between the U.S. government and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) announced Dec. 22. The program includes the construction of seven new tunnels and at least $42 million in green infrastructure projects.
The program builds on a growing consensus among the Environmental Protection Agency and green development advocates that green infrastructure can be an effective tool to help reduce stormwater overflows. Some typical green infrastructure components include the construction of wetlands, bioswales, retention ponds and other "green" solutions to manage rainfall before it even makes its way into the sewer.