Northeast Ohio sewer district rate increase details to be released Friday

CLEVELAND - The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District says it will release details on its pending agreement with the U.S. EPA, Friday aftrenoon.

The agreement calls for nearly $3 billion in required sewer improvements over the next 25 years, improvements sewer officials said, must be made to meet requirements demanded by the federal Clean Water Act.

"The district is in violation of federal law because it continues to dump 4.5 billion gallons of untreated sewage into Lake Erie," said sewer district executive director Julius Ciaccia. "In the past 10 years, 2 billion in improvements have cut the amount of sewage dumped in to the lake in half, but more improvements need to be made."

According to district officials, the needed improvements will carry a big price tag, including a sewer rate increase that could exceed 15 percent annually over the next 25 years.

Concerned residents have already voiced their concerns about the proposed sewer rate increase during a series of public hearings. Three additional public hearings on the pending hike are scheduled for next week.

The sewer district board could vote on the EPA agreement as early as Dec. 2.

The remaining public meetings concerning the pending rate increase will take place at the following locations:

• 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 16, Gunning Recreation Center, 16700 Puritas Avenue, Cleveland
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 17, Memorial Hall, 6617 Ridge Road, Parma
• 12:30 p.m. Thursday, November 18, Northeast Ohio Sewer District Headquarters, 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland