The Toledo Waterways Initiative is the City of Toledo’s 15-year program designed to improve its aging sewer system.

The initiative was formed as a result of the settlement of an 11-year-old lawsuit between the City of Toledo and the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA). In July 2002, voters in the City of Toledo overwhelmingly approved an ordinance that settled the lawsuit. That settlement requires the City to update its sewer and wastewater treatment facilities to stop the release of raw sewage into Swan Creek and the Ottawa and Maumee Rivers.

The 15-year series of improvements to upgrade the City’s aging sewer system is expected to cost more than $450 million. Funding for the program will come from an incremental increase of sanitary sewer rates over the next 15 years.

In an effort to minimize the impact on ratepayers, the City is also aggressively pursuing federal and state funding and grants.

Protecting Our Waterways: Reducing Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO)

Modern sewer systems have separate pipes for sewage and storm water. Sewage is transported to the wastewater treatment plant, and storm water is released directly into a ditch, stream or river.

About 20 percent of Toledo is still served by combined sewers – an old system that carries both sewage and storm water in the same pipe. Under normal conditions, this does not present a problem. Both the sewage and storm water are treated at the wastewater treatment plant. However, in the event of heavy rainfall, the system becomes overloaded. Storm water mixed with raw sewage then overflows into area waterways and sometimes backs up into residents’ homes.

The Solution
 
Unfortunately, there is no “quick fix” to the City’s combined sewer overflow problem. It is a long-term problem that requires a long-term solution.

Under the 15-year CSO program, the City’s sewer system will be substantially upgraded. Wet weather treatment capacity at the wastewater treatment plant will also be greatly increased.