Sewers, streams, and in between

Neighborhoods are where sewers, streams, and the teams that protect them come together.

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 & Operation is made up of the men and women who inspect and maintain the sewers that run under your cities and connect to our treatment facilities. That work prevents problems and ensures flows gets where it should safely.

Crews like Water Quality & Industrial Surveillance work in systems of both the sewer and stream varieties: Industrial inspectors ensure homes and businesses are properly connected and complying with environmental regulations, while water quality investigators monitor stream health to ensure we are meeting all the appropriate environmental obligations.

Together, these teams are frequent field crews in communities like yours serving the more than one million residents without most of them ever knowing it.

When you flush your toilet or walk a stream, the work it takes to keep those systems functioning may rarely cross your mind. Then when the NEORSD bill comes due, many wonder where all that money goes.

The reality is it’s all connected: your home, your community, and the health of our Great Lake.

Missed our past #BehindTheBill features?

• Where does it go? To see where your sewer utility bill goes, start by following the flow of water. Read more.
• The flush is just the beginning: Why water down the drain is the start of a journey few see and even fewer understand. Read more.
• Lab work is a sewer science: How hundreds of tests a day ensure our water is treated right. Read more.
• Construction is expensive, expansive, essential: Tunnel construction comes with a huge price tag. But neglecting investment or mismanaging projects costs more. Read more.