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Raw sewage dumped in lake

Imagine '3 billion toilets flushing'

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Aaron Marshall

Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus- More than 10 billion gallons of untreated raw sewage were dumped into Lake Erie from dozens of communities in 2005, according to a report an environmental group released Wednesday morning.

"Ten billion gallons of sewage floating into Lake Erie is equivalent to 3 billion toilets flushing into the lake," said Amy Gomberg, a spokeswoman for Environment Ohio, a nonprofit group that presented its study at a Statehouse news conference. "Sewage contamination poses an environmental threat to Lake Erie and a health threat to the millions who swim, boat and fish in it each year."

The problem stems from sewer overflows that allow the raw sewage to pass into waterways during heavy rains. Cleveland, Toledo, Fremont, Sandusky and Akron were the top offenders in the report, with Cleveland's regional sewer system alone dumping almost 5 billion gallons of untreated sewage into Lake Erie in 2005. In all, 38 communities in the Lake Erie water basin are built with combined sewer systems, which discharge untreated sewage and storm water into waterways when it rains.

Joining Gomberg at the news conference was Rep. Scott Oelslager, a Canton Republican, who will introduce legislation this week calling for public notification of sewage overflows.

"It's so your children and yourself aren't swimming in something that you would have no idea what's in the water," he said. "It's a notification bill and a right to know bill."

Under the legislation, municipalities that dump untreated sewage into waterways would have 24 hours to notify the media. A warning sign would be posted at the site where the sewage had been dumped, and monthly reports on the sewage overflows would be mandatory.

Tim Buckley, a professor at Ohio State University's College of Public Health, said raw sewage can cause gastrointestinal problems, hepatitis, liver failure, kidney failure and even death.

Oelslager introduced a similar bill last session that never cleared committee. With 17 co-sponsors on this bill, he said he likes his chances this year.