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Suburbs Reach a Deal With Akron to Share More of The Sewer Costs

The Cuyahoga Street Storage Facility was put into service in late 2006 as a 10 million gallon storage basin capturing combined sewer overflows
City of Akron
/
Akron.gov
The Cuyahoga Street Storage Facility was put into service in late 2006 as a 10 million gallon storage basin capturing combined sewer overflows

If you live in a community near Akron, your sewer bill may be going up. The city plans to charge more for the sewer services it provides to half a dozen outlying areas.

The Cuyahoga Street Storage Facility was put into service in late 2006 as a 10 million gallon storage basin capturing combined sewer overflows
Credit City of Akron / Akron.gov
/
Akron.gov
The Cuyahoga Street Storage Facility was put into service in late 2006 as a 10 million gallon storage basin capturing combined sewer overflows

Cuyahoga Falls, Montrose, Springfield Township and Tallmadge are among what are called “master metered” communities served by Akron sewers.

As many as two-thirds of homes in those communities are hooked up. But under a federal order to build a massive new system, Akron wants more for its service. 

Tallmadge Mayor David Kline says, after a year of negotiating, a deal has been struck to make that happen.

"We know all about the EPA requirements from them to clean up the  river down on in the valley.

And so that’s part of all this, that $1 billion price tag.  Does Tallmadge have a portion of that that we should be responsible for?  I think the answer to that is yes,to an extent.”

David Kline, Mayor of Tallmadge
Credit City of Tallmadge website
/
City of Tallmadge website
David Kline, Mayor of Tallmadge

A typical bill in the suburbs will likely go up about $5 a month. Kline, says the form of the rate increase is the product of both negotiation and consultation.

“We did not agree with a lot of things in there until we were able to work with them and came out with what I think is a mutual agreement that is not only good for Tallmadge but the other metered communities.”

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Tim Rudell
Tim Rudell has worked in broadcasting and news since his student days at Kent State in the late 1960s and early 1970s (when he earned extra money as a stringer for UPI). He began full time in radio news in 1972 in his home town of Canton, OH.