storm water management program

THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR CLEVELAND HEIGHTS




Storm Water Management Program 2005 Report
In March 2003, all municipalities with populations under 100,000 were required to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a plan to reduce storm water contamination. This program, known as Phase II, was instituted by the EPA to clean up waterways and reduce discharges of pollutants into ravines, culverts, streams and creeks. The plan submitted by Cleveland Heights to the EPA covers the initial permit reporting time frame, ending in 2008. At that time, the EPA will issue a Permit to Cleveland Heights provided that all control measures have been met. The Cleveland Heights Plan addresses the six minimum control issues that are required, which, if adhered to, will address the operations needed to make our waterways more environmentally clean. The City of Cleveland Heights is rich in natural streams and waterways, as parts of Doan Brook, Dugway Brook and Nine-Mile Creek all lie within our city limits. These streams and creeks are on both private and public property.

The six control measures that follow are components of the Storm Water Management Program that serve as the foundation for the entire plan:
  1. Public Education and Outreach
    Because our citizens are our most active line of vigilance, this control measure educates the public on the goals of the Storm Water Program and why it is necessary.

  2. Public Participation and Involvement
    Public participation is encouraged through literature distribution, FOCUS Magazine articles, this website, community meetings and classroom education. Residents are asked to advise us of unusual events, such as illegal dumping, odors in creeks, water coming out of manholes, water on the street during dry weather, and dislodged manhole and catch basin covers.

  3. Illegal Discharge Detection and Elimination
    It is the responsibility of the City of Cleveland Heights to detect sanitary discharges into storm water systems. Once an illegal discharge is detected, it must be corrected. In some cases, the property owner may have to make the correction. Eliminating sanitary discharges into storm waters is the most significant way that we can clean up our waterways. All culverts, streams and creeks must be inspected and all outfalls catalogued and evaluated for dry weather discharges. In addition, a comprehensive map is being made that identifies all outfalls by size, pipe material type and dry weather discharges, if any. Any dry weather discharges must be sampled for sanitary content, and, if positive, be traced back to the point of origin.

  4. Construction Site Runoff Control
    The City must insure that any new construction sites that are one acre or larger have adequate safeguards to prevent debris and other unwanted material from gaining access to waterways.

  5. Post-Construction Site Runoff Control
    Under the same guidelines as control measure number four, when the construction is completed, drainage protection must not be compromised.

  6. Best Management Practices
    Best management practices include many different areas involving preventative maintenance, capital improvements and response to citizen concerns. Some of these areas include catch basin cleaning, employee training, vehicle maintenance, hazardous materials management, landscaping and lawn care, leaf disposal, parking lot cleaning, pet waste management, ravine and stream cleaning, road salting, roadside ditch cleaning, sewer cleanings and street sweeping. Effective best management practices in combination can help reduce the potential amount of pollutants that might escape into the waterways. Cleveland Heights has been doing many if the above best management practices for many years.
Phase II Storm Water Management 2004 Update
Since Cleveland Heights submitted its original plan, our city has made steady progress implementing items that were on its original EPA submission. Listed below are some of the accomplishments made in 2004 in order to comply with our EPA obligations:
  • The remainder of the ravines and culverts comprising the full length of Nine- Mile Creek have been inspected and mapped, including all outfalls. Detected sanitary discharges are being investigated. The main outlet portions of the creek at Belvoir were thoroughly cleaned by removing silt, trees and other debris.

  • The upper portion of Dugway Brook from Staunton Road to Mayfield has also been inspected and mapped.

  • Several sanitary discharges entering the storm system from properties have been corrected.

  • A culvert under Berkshire Road was repaired.

  • Construction sites must block debris and other material from entering the storm water system.

  • The Doan Brook Watershed Partnership, under the leadership of Director Keith Jones, has grown and has done an extensive amount of public education concerning the Doan Brook Watershed. Meetings and public events are regularly scheduled.

  • The Friends of Dugway Brook has been extremely active in their efforts to maintain water quality in the Dugway Brook area.

  • Communication between adjacent upstream cities and Cleveland Heights is maintained because occasionally, a water quality issue can cross city borders.

  • Best management practices and maintenance are at a high level.

  • All 4,500 catch basins in the city are being electronically mapped and identified.

  • Approximately 1,500 of these basins have been fitted with a weatherproof disc as a reminder that nothing should be poured down these drains. Eventually, all 4,500 basins will be identified with this message.
For questions concerning the Storm Water Management Program, please contact Utilities Commissioner Dennis Zentarski at
216-291-5900.