Samira Malone is Director of the Cleveland Tree Coalition. We discuss the multiple benefits trees provide in urban settings, the CTC's efforts to restore Cleveland's diminished tree canopy, and "the right tree for the right place." The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District serves on the Coalition's Executive Committee. Visit www.clevelandtrees.org for more info!

Kristen Buccier is the Manager of our Stormwater Inspection & Maintenance team, brilliantly acronymed SWIM. We talked to Kristen about the thousands of stormwater assets the NEORSD inspects and maintains. Her team walks area streams to document flooding, erosion, and water-quality issues, so that critical repairs and projects can be planned. We learn about spherical imagery (think "stream inspector's version of Google Earth"), Green Infrastructure practices, and beaver-dam dilemmas.

SANDUSKY, OH: Mike and Donna attend the 16th annual Ohio Stormwater Conference and speak with stormwater enthusiasts on a variety of topics including: groundwater rights, the different types of wetlands, invasive species, and the impacts of road salt on local waterways. This episode's guests: Erica Matheny, Deputy Executive Director, Tinker's Creek Watershed Partners Harry Stark, Executive Director, Tinker's Creek Watershed Partners  Melissa Morrow, City of Parma Julio Olivarez, The Nature...

Frank Greenland is a professional engineer and a key architect of two of the Sewer District's most ambitious and important programs: Project Clean Lake (which reduces sewer overflows into the environment) and the Regional Stormwater Management Program (addressing erosion, flooding, and water-quality issues along local streams).  We learn how an early love of fishing led Frank to pursue a career in cleaning up Cleveland's waterways, and he shares his thoughts on the 1969 river fire,...

Donna and Mike met up with Sewer District CEO Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells for a conversation that touched on a wide range of topics, from her early interest in public service, to watersheds and climate change, to dyslexia, hip hop, and running in the dark.

Heather Elmer of Chagrin River Partners and Derek Schafer of the West Creek Conservancy join us for a discussion of watersheds, their importance, and ways their organizations and others work to protect local waterways.

A follow-up to our conversation with Environmental Services Supervisor Scott Broski, on the Sewer District's involvement in tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Northeast Ohio, using wastewater samples. 

In addition to working as a Plant Utility Maintenance Person (a "PUMP") at our Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center, history buff Danny Schoeffler is a native of that neighborhood. He talks about growing up in the close-knit village of Cuyahoga Heights and shares a bit of history of the Southerly plant and the area's development from farmland to industry. Also: work hazards and superhuman strength (Marvel and otherwise). Acronyms used in this episode: H²S - Hydrogen Sulfide aka "Sewer Gas"

NEORSD Superintendent of Environmental Services Scott Broski gives his insights into the February 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and explains the emergency-response protocols for these kinds of accidents. Acronyms used in this episode: WQIS - Water Quality & Industrial Surveillance (NEORSD) SCBA - Self Contained Breathing Apparatus ODNR - Ohio Department of Natural Resources LEPC - Local Emergency Planning Committee EPCRA - Emergency Planning and Community...

There's a lot happening hundreds of feet below Cleveland's surface. NEORSD Construction Supervisor Robert Auber explains the ins and outs of tunnel excavation in various types of rock and the particular mindset required for a career working underground. 

Bradshaw Rescola contemplates worst-case scenarios for organizations and explains how the Sewer District investigates and safeguards against vulnerabilities and harm. Acronyms used in this episode: SWOT: An analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats CIA: Certified Internal Auditor CFE: Certified Fraud Examiner NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology, which provides a privacy framework for cybersecurity

Analytical Services is the name of the Sewer District's laboratory, where water samples are tested for various toxicants and characteristics. Supervising Chemist Debmalya Bhattacharyya explains the lab's testing methods for determining what's in the wastewater and making sure that the treated water is safe to re-introduce into Lake Erie. Some acronyms and terms used in this episode: NPDES: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, which regulates point sources that discharge...

In this bonus Clean Water Works segment, Donna talks with residents attending a design workshop for the Doan Brook Restoration at Horseshoe Lake. Hear their ideas for enhancements to the design architects' proposed stream alignments at this popular nature destination. For more information, visit the our website.

Kathryn has long worked in the thick of wastewater treatment. And I mean the actual thick: the solids and sludge that are all part of the treatment process. Enterprise Biosolids and Residuals Superintendent Kathryn Crestani talks with Mike and Donna about how a wastewater treatment plant works (following up on episode 8), how solids are separated out from wastewater, and what the Sewer District does with all that "sludge."

Denario Jones explains the basics of wastewater treatment and tells us what it's like to work as a wastewater plant operator (WPO). For more info on working at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, visit neorsd.org/careers Some acronyms used in this episode: WPO-IT - Wastewater Plant Operator in Training WQIS - Water Quality & Industrial Surveillance MGD -  A measurement of how many Millions of Gallons per Day WEFTEC - The Water Environment Federation's annual Technical Exhibition...

Learn how the Sewer District uses maps and other data to power its Regional Stormwater Management Program. Watershed Programs's Jessica Cotton explains what Geographic Information Systems can do and highlights some recent Green Infrastructure projects in Cleveland.

In this Halloween-ish bonus episode, Environmental Specialist Sarah Rehner explains how the Sewer District takes bat and other wildlife habitats into consideration when planning its construction projects.

In Part 2 of our talk with Dr. Larick, we hear about his favorite “secret places” for Cleveland explorers. We also discuss the importance of trees, learn how streams can both divide and connect communities, and answer the question of whether or not to replace a failing dam. 

"Working with rain is better than fighting it." Dr. Roy Larick is an archaeologist who investigates the weave of natural and human forces in building inner-ring urban landscapes. In Part 1 of our interview, Dr. Larick discusses his work to identify buried ravines under Cleveland and show how some flooding issues could be remedied by reconnecting to those stream systems. We talk about old maps and more modern methods of discovery, and Dr. Larick shares a brief history of Kingsbury Run and...

Project Engineer Christine Umerley works in the planning group of the Sewer District's Engineering & Construction department. She explains how the District plans for future projects and her own involvement helping neighborhoods through the Local Sewer System Evaluation Study (LSSES) and the Member Community Infrastructure Program (MCIP), unique efforts that support local projects with regional benefits. Some other acronyms mentioned in this episode: • CSO: Combined Sewer Overflow •...

Joshua Dress and Josh Jeffi work in Sewer System Maintenance & Operation, the Sewer District team that monitors and maintains a complex underground system that keeps wastewater flowing to our three treatment plants.  Josh and Josh, with Mike and Donna, lift the lid and descend deep into the topic of sewers, including the history of sewers in the region, how they work, what it takes to keep things flowing, and even some of the craziest things they've seen underground.

One of the responsibilities of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is to regulate industrial discharges to the region's sewer system. Our investigators conduct routine inspections at industrial facilities to ensure that they are not discharging harmful pollutants into the sewers. In this premiere episode of Clean Water Works, we talk to Industrial Compliance Specialist Frank Schuschu who has seen a lot in his 46 years (!) of Sewer District service. Frank talks about working with those...

Donna and Mike improvise an introduction to the new podcast. Comedy ensues.