Water Your Thoughts – Basement Flooding Follow-Up

Has this been a severe weather year, or is this the new normal? Either way, the strong rains this year have led to sanitary and storm sewer surcharges, which in turn have led to basement flooding. (ALMU) is operating as if this weather is the new normal and is working in partnership with customers and the City to help prevent basement flooding.

We are more than half complete the Inwood/Dellwood/Bellaire sewer rehabilitation project, which will reduce storm-related water from directly entering the sanitary sewer. In addition, we just initiated a pilot within the Inwood/Dellwood/Bellaire project area that is intended to help residents stop discharging clean water (defined as stormwater or groundwater) to the sanitary sewer. This will not only help residents adhere to regulations that prohibit discharge of clean water, it will also remove probably the greatest source of storm-related flow.

We are offering a $300 sewer credit or a $100 sewer credit and a drain pump to residents who permanently prevent pumped clean water sources from discharging to the sanitary sewer. See our website (www.avonlakewater.org) or call us at 440-933-6226 for details.

Our website provides many resources to help prevent basement flooding. The document, Mitigating Basement Backups, presents information both on how to prevent stormwater from entering the sanitary sewer and on how to prevent sewer surcharges from affecting residences.

This program and the sewer rehabilitation project are two of the many ways Avon Lake Municipal Utilities is reducing chances for you and others within Avon Lake to experience basement flooding after heavy rains. Thank you for working with us to help make that happen.