How do we finance sewer and stormwater projects and utility operations? If you’re a customer, the answer is “your sewer bill.”

At least that’s where the funding comes from. But how do we use that revenue to cover the cost of critical sewer and stormwater services? Cash? Loans? The reality is it takes a little more exploration, and the answer has an effect on the bills customers pay.

It starts with a rate study, which the Sewer District does every five years. It’s just like setting your budget.

You predict what big expenses might be coming up, how you plan to pay off existing debt, and what your operating costs might be.

The Sewer District operates three large wastewater treatment…

America says swimming is its number-one Summer Olympic event. But let’s talk about number two.

We wondered, because no one else will, how an Olympic swimmer would fare in an environment more unusual than a 50-meter chlorinated pool.

Could a US Team swimmer successfully endure laps in these long bubbling channels known as aeration tanks? or perhaps the in-ground-pool-like tanks nearby?

Today, in anticipation of beach season kicking off this weekend, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District announced recent sewer system improvements designed to reduce combined sewer overflows at Edgewater Beach.

“For nearly 50 years, the Sewer District has invested $5 billion in sewer and stormwater projects across the entire service area. Our early work included improving and building infrastructure,” said Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, CEO of the Sewer District.

“As a result of recent work, upgrades to the Northwest Interceptor will likely reduce the volume and frequency of combined sewer overflows at the beach.”

By removing dam regulators, reducing pressure, and increasing…

For an agency tasked with cleaning wastewater and managing stormwater for the almost 50 years, sustainability is not a new concept.

Strategic sustainability, however, is something to be excited about.

This month, the Sewer District launches its first-ever Sustainability Plan, a comprehensive framework for operations and decision-making that will allow us to continue providing critical services, protecting our environment, and preserving resources.

“We are an environmental organization and always have been,” said CEO Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells. “Sustainability has had a place in our strategic plans for a long time. But sustainability isn’t a goal of its own. …

Infrastructure is expensive. That’s not an excuse. It’s a reality, one we manage every single day.

We owe it to customers to be responsible, resourceful, and respectful in our decisions to ensure we are spending smart. That’s an obligation and it should be your expectation.

As that critical need to maintain and improve our wastewater and stormwater systems remains a priority, we proposed an annual rate increase of 4.7 percent for the years 2022–2026 to our Board of Trustees at their April 7 meeting.

Since then, we further refined that proposal to a 4.2 …

In this #BehindTheBill series, we take a closer look at the work made possible by your monthly or quarterly NEORSD bill.

When it comes to managing stormwater, it’s better to work with nature than against it.

Constructed sewers are a big part of our work but lesser known are the nature-based solutions like green infrastructure and stream restoration that help slow the flow of water in both the environment and the sewer system. That means healthier streams and more sustainable sewer investments.

Consider stream problems like flooding, erosion, debris blockages and water quality. Issues like these are often caused by…

In this #BehindTheBill series, we take a closer look at the work made possible by your monthly or quarterly NEORSD bill.

Flashing amber lights on the shoulder of your morning commute catch your attention but rarely make a memory. A safety-green “Field staff” T-shirt-wearing public worker walks the stream in your neighborhood, clipboard in hand, but unless they approach your property, it’s often not worth a second thought.

The reality is that dozens of sewer and environmental maintenance workers are out and active across our 62 communities every day, managing systems for public health and public safety.

Sewer System Maintenance…

In this #BehindTheBill series, we take a closer look at the work made possible by your monthly or quarterly NEORSD bill.

Billions of dollars and billions of gallons of water are trusted to people like Karrie.

Karrie Buxton is a Construction Supervisor overseeing tunnel projects. Her primary work is to ensure the successful completion of Project Clean Lake’s huge tunnels, but she is just one of hundreds of employees working across the region to build and maintain systems that ensure Lake Erie is protected.

“When you’re 200 feet [underground], you still get a little excited,” Buxton said in a 2020…