To address these issues and the overall age of the system, improvements have been made for decades. Throughout the City, portions of the over-under design have been replaced with separate lines, often by building a larger stormwater system to replace the “over” and keeping sanitary in the “under.” The clay pipe has also been replaced with concrete or PVC that is more durable and allows for tighter connections to keep out tree roots and infiltration. The City also uses a newer process to reline the inside of older pipes that may leak, but are otherwise in good condition. “This seals all the joints and prevents infiltration between the sanitary and storm sewers,” explains Speese. These separate systems are now also managed through dedicated interconnections and storage tunnels to eliminate the majority of CSO events. All of this, of course, takes time and money. So while Shaker has eliminated many of the connections that could lead to SSO events, there remain a few areas still requiring updating. The legacy East View Village sewers are the largest remaining system requiring this upgrade, which is exactly what they’re scheduled for, beginning next summer. (Residents can get updates on construction schedules at shakeronline.com/construction.) Gridley Triangle Park is at the epicenter of the upgrade. It’s at the heart of the Lomond and Sussex neighborhoods, and is bordered by Gridley and Sherrington roads and Lomond Boulevard, and filled with mature trees. These streets also cover a tangled web of water mains, sewer lines, and natural gas pipes. Nearly every street in Shaker Heights has a combination of these utilities, but some have smaller diameter sewers leading to larger sewers that collect the water and waste from a branching network. Sherrington is home to one of the larger collector pipes that eventually makes its way to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. In times of heavy rainfall, however, the sewer line under Sherrington connects to a Combined Sewer Overflow around Palmerston Road. This leads to Kingsbury Run and eventually the Cuyahoga River. To reduce the chances of a SSO event, a new 36-inch sewer line will be installed along Sherrington from Palmerston to Gridley. New water lines will be replaced at the same time. While residents will be able to access their driveways, traffic will be reduced or redirected for the safety of residents and the construction crews. Another section of new sewer will start at Gridley Road, pass along the edge of the park, and then follow Lomond to Lynnfield. This will be done in an innovative way. Recognizing the importance of mature trees in rainwater management, this section will be constructed by drilling horizontally from a series of four pits dug into the ground. This is expected to significantly reduce damage to the tree roots along the path and is part of the green infrastructure method the project will use. 62 SUMMER 2022 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE Top: Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. Bottom: The epicenter of the upgrade, Gridley Triangle Park.
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