Protecting Our Local Water – Nifty Water-Related Projects in Greater Cleveland

As passionate as we are about bringing safe water to the people of Uganda, we are equally as passionate about protecting the water in our own backyard here in Cleveland. Below is a list of amazing water-related projects happening around Greater Cleveland that you should check out!

Large-scale

• Cleveland Tree Plan
  • In 2015, The City of Cleveland, Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Thriving Communities Institute, LAND Studio, Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress created the Cleveland Tree Plan. Trees and greenspace are an important part of absorbing stormwater runoff. The average tree can store close to 100 gallons of water! (source)
• Public Square & NEORSD
  • The recently-remodeled public square is a great example of green infrastructure. Stormwater is collected in multiple places around the square to be used to water trees, plants, and grass on site. 300 million gallons of water will be captured each year that would otherwise flow into the sewers. (source)

Small-scale

• Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District Rain Barrel Program
  • Installing and using a rain barrel at your house is easy and keeps a lot of water from going straight to the sewers. Also, many water utilities offer discounts to your bill if you install a rain barrel (see NEORSD property credit details)

• Painted Rain Barrel Project
  • Linda Zolten Wood is an artist and the founder of the project. She offers workshops to decorate your own rain barrel or you can order a custom made one!

• Habitat for Hard Places
  • With a grant from Sustain Our Great Lakes and ArcelorMittal, these small habitat structures have been installed along the hard-walled bulkheads at the most-industrialized parts of the ship channel in the Cuyahoga River. (source)
• Mitchell’s Ice Cream rain harvesting sculpture
  • A rainwater harvesting system captures melted rain and snow into an outdoor cistern. The water is then pumped into the basement, filtered and reused as potable water. (source)

In the works

• Fairhill-MLK Green Infrastructure Ambassador Project
  • Construction of a large basin and installation of new, separate storm sewers along E. 124 Street and portions of Fairhill Road, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Britton Drive, Mt. Overlook Avenue and E. 126 Street. It will manage 17 million gallons of stormwater in a typical year (source)
• Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone (UAIZ) – Otter Park (East 83rd and Gill)
  • Located in the Kinsman neighborhood on Cleveland’s east side, the project is designed to manage 7 million gallons of stormwater a year, reducing combined sewer overflow volumes to Lake Erie by 1.6 million gallons (source)

 

The above is a snapshot of water related projects happening around Cleveland. What other cool projects do you know of? Respond in the comments with the details so we can check them out!