By Michael Peters
A new project
to upgrade the
sewer system in
Lomond/Sussex
uses green
infrastructure
methods,
providing
benefits to
residents and
the environment
alike.
One of the enduring legacies of the planning that went
into Shaker Heights is the canopy of thousands of mature
trees. That planning also included the parks, streets,
and – underneath the streets – the water and sewer lines.
An infrastructure project in the Lomond and Sussex
neighborhoods is piloting a new approach to how we think
about what’s both above and below our streets.
Just as homeowners need to upgrade their old pipes,
the City is responsible for doing the same with the sewers
that were installed in most parts of the City in the 1910s.
As Director of Public Works Patricia Speese explains, those
original sewers were designed to last for roughly 50 years.
Public Works has an ongoing program to repair, renovate, and
in some places upgrade this critical infrastructure. In the past
decade, the City has spent approximately $9 million on sewer
maintenance and repair.
“The quality of workmanship in the original sewer
infrastructure is second to none,” notes Speese. “But like our
Shaker homes, this infrastructure is more than 100 years old
and needs attention. This is why we are working systematically
through the City to perform these improvements.”
The heavier rainfall the City has experienced in the last
decade, combined with the age of many of the sewers, has
led to periodic flooding in some areas. This has resulted
in two significant issues: the impact on residents and their
homes, and the more frequent discharges of untreated waste
into the environment as the sewers overflow. The Lomond/
Sussex sewer replacement project aims to address both of
these issues while also protecting the neighborhood trees that
absorb a significant amount of rainfall.
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