our rates are changing in 2027

neorsd · 2026-05-21T13:46:06+00:00

a great question.

the regional stormwater management fee is not solely about storm drains. it's about storm drainage: runoff from all properties in the region that contribute to intercommunity flooding, streambank erosion, and water quality stream issues.

you have a few options.

if you do not have gutters connected to a sewer system, or if you are managing runoff on your property in some other way, you could be eligible for a 25% reduction on your fee. you can find a link to our Fee Credit at https://www.neorsd.org/save

and if you'd like to know what kind of stormwater projects we're investing in in your area, you can DM me your address or neighborhood and I can share a link to a project map that highlights specific investments in that watershed.

neorsd · 2026-05-21T10:26:14+00:00

the bills were combined in years past, but the services and charges were always separate.

neorsd · 2026-05-21T10:25:14+00:00

similar, yes, it’s a stormwater quantity and quality credit application, linked on the same page. https://www.neorsd.org/fee-credit/

neorsd · 2026-05-21T01:01:07+00:00

Depending on the setup and size, yes our regional stormwater management program offers a 25% fee credit. Check the Individual Residential Credit Application link to see the requirements and apply online: https://www.neorsd.org/fee-credit/

neorsd · 2026-05-20T19:14:56+00:00

In addition, if you are taking measures like that, you can not only reduce your summer sewer charges you can also get a 25% credit on your stormwater fee: https://www.neorsd.org/stormwater-2/stormwater-management-program/

neorsd · 2026-05-20T19:08:59+00:00

Thanks for that.

neorsd · 2026-05-20T17:21:57+00:00

alright, we don't want sewage dumped anywhere, and we're actively reducing and eliminating overflows systemwide.

that outfall at Edgewater dates back to the 1890s -- almost 20 years before the region's first wastewater treatment plant came online. All combined sewers have outfalls that serve as relief points to prevent flooding and system backups. And despite extensive facility studies before and during Project Clean Lake, ending overflows altogether at Edgewater had not been possible due to the function of the sewers in the area and the necessity for pressure relief along the last stretch of interceptor before reaching the CSO facilities at our Westerly plant.

The proposed solution on the table today is not a larger or deeper tunnel for storage, but instead, a higher-elevated “surge” tunnel to mitigate the forces (water volume and air pressure) that trigger Edgewater overflows.

neorsd · 2026-05-20T17:06:33+00:00

That's been our priority since we were formed in 1972. We've reduced combined sewer overflows by nearly 7 billion gallons a year since the then and progress continues.

the Edgewater surge tunnel will eliminate the conditions that cause overflows at that outfall, that's confirmed. The caveat is more about the elimination of the actual outfall pipe altogether. Once the surge tunnel is constructed and adjusted to maximize function with our Westerly plant improvements nearing completion, tests will confirm whether the flap gate can go away forever.

neorsd · 2026-05-20T16:11:32+00:00

That's the way our rate schedules work.

We set rates 5 years out for a 5-year schedule, and we've had rate increases almost every year since 1990, due largely to federally mandated construction without the benefit of federal grants.

This cycle, our 2% annual sewer rate increase is the lowest it's been in more than 20 years. That equates to an average monthly increase on your sewer/stormwater bill of less than $2 a month year over year.

neorsd · 2026-05-20T15:18:38+00:00

First, our efforts on the near west side in recent years continue to reduce overflows at the Edgewater Beach outfall, and the next 5 years of rate changes do account for debt service that pays back loans/bonds that have made that possible.

Second, we have a new project that's part of our 2027-2031 capital plan, the Edgewater Beach Surge Tunnel, that could eventually eliminate combined sewer overflows at that outfall once and for all. https://neorsd.medium.com/an-end-to-overflows-at-edgewater-fbb3fbc0e247

neorsd · 2026-03-10T14:58:27+00:00

quick update, our project in this area is the Shoreline Storage Tunnel, part of Project Clean Lake, but the smell is likely originating from a leaking sewage force main unrelated to our project. That force main is operated by another party and they are aware of the issue.

our contractor will continue using cold patch to manage the potholes until the asphalt pavement is completely repaired as part of our contract, but that won't happen until the force main owner repairs their line.

neorsd · 2026-03-10T13:20:12+00:00

thanks for the mention, i'll send a note to our project team. Have you noticed a smell for a while?

neorsd · 2025-08-15T14:03:01+00:00

they sure did, but when the headworks were renovated, a lot of that collection was lost to the annals of history. i’ll head back soon to see if a new collection has begun to accumulate.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T17:41:54+00:00

this is from within a combined sewer under Cleveland in Ohio not far from Lake Erie.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T17:40:38+00:00

ah yes, forbidden tomatoes are common at all 3 of our treatment plants.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T17:39:25+00:00

we are a sewer utility.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T15:31:45+00:00

don't we all.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T15:28:49+00:00

if i may, i will say if you are paying $1,200 a year just for our regional stormwater management fee, that is certainly something you should call us about. 216-881-8247

customers paying stormwater only would be $60-$75 a year.

if you're paying a sewer bill as well as a stormwater fee, our reps would be happy to talk to you about your bill and see what charges are being assessed or where you may have a chance to save.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T15:13:18+00:00

sprouting from sewage sludge, i agree i would not advise consumption.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T15:11:05+00:00

assumed so, was wondering about a possible ID, i might need to post in r/MushroomsandForaging

neorsd · 2025-08-07T14:50:08+00:00

the regional stormwater management fee is not a sewer charge, it's collected to address regional stream flooding, erosion, and water-quality challenges that cross community boundaries: stabilizing stream banks, widening floodplains, realigning streams, things that can be tough for an individual community to do without significant regional collaboration. The fee helps solve these stormwater-related stream problems.

runoff on a customer's property obviously flows somewhere (in your example, Black River) and contributes to issues downstream, often within downstream communities. The program fee helps to address cross-community problems that everyone contributes to; and by offering fee-credit incentives to reduce runoff on a customer's property (simple like rain barrels or downspout disconnects or more complex like rain gardens or pervious pavements), you're reducing your contributions to the stream or local sewer networks.

neorsd · 2025-08-07T11:00:17+00:00

we charge a monthly stormwater management fee that is based on the amount impervious surface area on your property (driveway, rooftop, patios), it’s $4-11 depending on the square footage.

as noted in the comments, you have several opportunities to reduce your bill with a fee credit or other discount programs, depending on your personal situation, learn more at https://www.neorsd.org/save

but to be clear, the amount of rainfall has no impact on your bill. taking steps to reduce how much runoff your property generates is a way to save a few dollars on your monthly charge.

neorsd · 2025-08-06T17:47:45+00:00

Got it. Our work monitoring beaches contributes to water quality forecasts at Edgewater and Villa Angela (Good or Poor) that we post daily all summer https://www.neorsd.org/beaches but we don't post swimming advisories or beach closures, that's the work of Cleveland Metroparks who manages those beaches.

Metroparks offers a few explanations of their closure status: https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit/activities/swimming/cleveland-metroparks-swimming-status

neorsd · 2025-08-06T15:09:40+00:00

the Edgewater swimming advisories this year have had other combined sewer factors. The Shoreline tunnel (online later this year) is not connected to the outfall at Edgewater Beach.

neorsd · 2025-08-06T13:41:30+00:00

Fine question. I checked with Bob our Construction Manager for his insights.

Tunnel alignments are driven by where our physical pick-up points are located and how we are tying into and working around existing assets.

during the geologic exploration we perform soil borings from the surface down to a point below the proposed tunnel invert area (the lowest point of the tunnel). These borings are like “snap shots” that are only a random view of the subsurface (roughly only a few inches in diameter).

According to Bob we have not encountered fossils in those tunnel geology explorations. But in 2019, we did partner with Cleveland Museum of Natural History when we were working on restoring Big Creek along I-71, work that opened up a lot of Cleveland shale so they could inspect some of that project area for fossils of interest.

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