CLEVELAND, OHIO, Oct. 2, 2014 -- Today, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (Sewer District) board of trustees approved a $3-million installment grant for the Public Square Renovation Project, a major green infrastructure restoration initiative designed for the historic four-block central plaza located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
The Public Square Renovation Project includes a $7-million investment in green infrastructure, which will remove approximately 3 million gallons of stormwater yearly from the combined sewer system. Visible features will include additional trees, permeable pavers and stormwater planters. Below grade, a rainwater harvesting system will collect runoff to be used for all on-site watering needs.
"As it exists today, Public Square is 60-percent hardscape," said Frank Greenland, Sewer District director of Watershed Programs. "The new design increases green space on Public Square by 30 to 40 percent, and 35 percent of the area will be permeable for stormwater. This will help reduce the amount of flow coming into our Westerly and Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plants."
This investment complements the Sewer District's Project Clean Lake program, which is designed to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) -- a combination of sewage and stormwater discharging into the environment -- from 4.5 billion gallons to 500 million gallons.
"The transformation of Public Square is an investment in our core infrastructure that will redefine downtown Cleveland," said Jeremy Paris, executive director of the Group Plan Commission, a 501 (c)(3) organization established by the city of Cleveland and its partners to guide the renovation, and long-term programming, operation, and maintenance of the restored Public Square.
In addition, the Sewer District and the Group Plan Commission will coordinate clean-water messaging and programming throughout Public Square.
See also:
"Ohio WTP to improve water treatment with new UV disinfection system"
"Water communication module improves Ohio utility customer service, operational efficiency"
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