Nov. 16

Sewage overflow problems at a municipal sewer system will be addressed under a new agreement has been announced between the city of Akron, Ohio, and the U.S. EPA the state of Ohio and the U.S. Justice Department.

According to a Clean Water Act settlement lodged last week in federal court, the city must develop and implement a plan to reduce or eliminate untreated overflows of sewage and storm water from its sewer system and bypasses around secondary treatment at the wastewater treatment plant.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by the federal government against the city in February 2009, which the State of Ohio later joined. The lawsuit accused the city of illegally discharging more than 1 billion gallons of raw sewage and untreated wastewater from its sewer system and treatment plant into the Cuyahoga River, the Little Cuyahoga, the Ohio Canal and their tributaries every year.

The Cuyahoga River flows through Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Cleveland metropolitan area to Lake Erie.

In addition to eliminating the overflows and discharge, and full compliance with environmental standards by 2028, the city must expand its sewer plant capacity by 20 million gallons daily within six years, according to the EPA.

In addition to the improvement plans, the city agreed to pay a $500,000 fine and provide $900,000 to remove a dam on the Cuyahoga River, a project the EPA believes will result in a significant improvement in water quality.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com

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