How many years does the city have to comply and starting when? #

Answer is two phased:

1. The “Director’s Findings and Orders” originally stipulated a 15-year period, 3 of which have already been exhausted through compliance measures sought through the orders. (ERP, CMOM, and SSES).
2. The City’s SSES submission contemplates a 20-year period that requests controlling for a 10-year storm event, reducing Inflow & Infiltration (I & I) by 25% and construction of between 6 and 12 million gallons of underground storage. (Please Note: The 12 years remaining on the original “Findings and Orders” and the new SSES City proposed 20-year period are not considered consecutive but rather concurrent). The following deliverables were required in the above reference “DFFO”
3. Sewer Evaluation Study: specifying major tasks associated with further authoring a Sewer System Evaluation Study (“SSES”)
4. Public Notification Plan: informs the public of all sanitary overflow locations, signs, postings, and inserts as applicable. This plan remains ongoing.
5. Emergency Response Plan: develops procedures for emergency response to surcharge events.
6. Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance Program: Mitigate and stop sanitary overflows as soon as possible for all parts of the sanitary collection system. This program remains ongoing.
7. Sewer System Evaluation Study (“SSES”): that identifies sources and quantities of clear water infiltration and inflow (“I&I”) entering the sanitary sewer system and identifies all feasible, cost-effective actions needed to eliminate or minimize excessive I&I entering the sanitary sewer system that causes or contributes to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and water in basements.

The 2024 SSES report has been uploaded to the website at www.maumee.org

10-15 years is not enough time to fix the problem. #

1. Agreed. Considering the City’s current SSES request for 20 years, substantial (I&I) reduction would have to occur in approximately 4-5 years in order to delay the design and construction of the first underground, sanitary sewage storage tank. Under this scenario, it is not unreasonable to hope for 500-600 homes per year for 5 years to reduce (I&I) through the disconnection of footer tiles and installation of sump pumps.
2. City Staff and expert sanitary engineering consultants clearly understand that few communities are given over 20 years to comply. They also believe that

receiving less than 20 years from the State EPA may be probable. The email sent by the EPA’s Public Involvement Officer is truly misleading in that it suggests the amount of time the City might receive to remediate SSOs could be amended to be longer than what was requested. We are quite sure the EPA will not afford Maumee 30 years as suggested in the referenced e-mail. Now that the State EPA Public Involvement Office (PIO) suggested it is possible, the City will consider requesting the same, although it is very unlikely that this person has the authority to bind the State of Ohio in such matters.

• A 10-to-15-year timeline requires far faster and more significant measures to reduce inflow & infiltration (I&I) than a longer period. 1,300-1,500 properties with improper footer drain connections is so difficult to imagine that it is likely out of reach.

Why would the EPA not give Maumee 20 years? #

The EPA determines the number of years a community receives to complete the tasks stipulated in the “Directors Findings and Orders” in a number of ways, chief of which is after considering the overall community’s financial capability. Assessing Financial Capability (FCA) is imperative for communities when negotiating compliance schedules required in an order. There are two alternatives available to communities:

Alternative 1 considers metrics that measure the financial impact of the current and proposed Clean Water Act (CWA) controls on residential users, the financial capability of the community, and the lowest quintile income and poverty prevalence within the community.

Alternative 2 employs dynamic financial and rate models that evaluate the impacts of debt service on customers water and sewer bills. Additional information, such as a community’s total water costs (wastewater, storm water, and potable drinking water infrastructure investment), can be submitted and considered when negotiating the length of the City’s schedule for our Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements. The EPA may also consider the economic impact on the City of Maumee when considering the number of years for compliance.

• On August 16, 2024, the City accepted a scope change order proposal from Stantec Consulting Engineers that authorizes the firm to analyze the City under both Alternative 1 & 2 of the FCA so as to submit the most favorable analysis to Ohio EPA.

If the EPA decides that the City of Maumee will be afforded more than 20 years to comply, we will welcome that decision. Unfortunately, regardless of what the State EPA’s PIO suggests, the process is very rigorous, scientifically based, and

not based on political whim or staff that are not qualified to make such determinations.

The following table indicates the general impact of financial burden on a community and the number of years correlating with the same.

(US EPA, 2022)(Table 1)

Is the goal really zero gallons of sanitary sewage discharged? #

1. Yes. It is against federal and state law to either deliberately or unintentionally discharge non-treated or partially treated sewage to either the waters of the State of Ohio and the United States, or to an infrastructure component (storm Sewer or basements), within a system which discharges to the same. Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) are far different than Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). The City of Maumee eliminated CSOs in the early 1990s which resulted in City staff reporting to the EPA that the city completed its tasks, knowing full well, of course that Maumee’s sanitary system was surcharging due to storm water infiltration leading to flooded basements and overflows to “high pipe” connections that lead to the Maumee River. These “high pipes” failed to alleviate basement flooding, and the City started purchasing and utilizing bypass pumps with the principal mission of pumping sanitary waste to storm sewers which lead directly to the Maumee River.
2. In 1996, the City of Maumee simply traded one problem, (CSOs) for another, (SSOs). Communities that are separating their combined sewers or who own and operate a wastewater treatment are typically awarded a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act to discharge un-treated effluent from a wastewater plant or CSO outfalls while the problem is being rectified. To be clear, these permits do not give the right to “illicitly discharge” sewage, but rather are licenses that allow discharges that would otherwise be illegal. Maumee does not hold nor is it eligible for such a permit since its problem is sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) related, not combined sewer overflows. Lucas County holds the permit to discharge treated effluent that it receives and subsequently treats from a myriad of communities including Maumee.

Is the city planning to do enough (given changing rain patterns)? #

1. Given the City’s strategy to significantly reduce “point and non-point” source storm and clean water infiltration, it is safe to say that the City is planning to “do enough” to accommodate more severe rain events brought on by climate change. However, climate change models are vast and may or my not be an appropriate indicator of the true impact of future rain events in Maumee. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in collaboration with University of Michigan and Michigan State University, the projected change in temperature and consequent precipitation totals in the Midwestern United States from the 1980 – 1999 period compared to 2040 – 2059, will increase, but not necessarily in every season (GLISA, 2024). The downscaled projections of lake-effect snow in the great lakes basin further support the assertion that precipitation increases in the future will be varied (Notaro, Bennington, and Vavrus, 2015).

What benchmarking of similar communities has been done to identify best practices for solving this type of problem? #

All municipal corporations use other public agencies and professional consultants to determine a better focus for improvement in terms of the services they provide or projects they undertake, and Maumee is no exception. There are foundational principles on which Maumee staff and wastewater experts base their recommendations and those presuppositions are continually employed regardless of the jurisdiction under review. The following provide a small and brief explanation:

1. According to the United States Environment Protection Agency and Saeed Mohandes and his associates in a journal article published in Science Direct, Volume 375, 2022, the top three reasons for sanitary overflow are: Under sized pipe, blockage and breakage, and inflow and infiltration (I&I). Undersized pipe in specific areas of our community necessitate bypass pumping of sanitary waste to storm sewer outlets during heavy rain events. Pumping is the only way at this time, void of any significant (I&I) reduction, to offset the flooding of basements in those areas.
2. There currently exists thousands of peer reviewed research articles and reviews that either directly or indirectly address the preceding top three reasons for sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). The City Administrator and staff, with extensive career experience, utilize research articles similar to the one listed above to continually update their knowledge of the problems we face. They are also familiar with the causes associated with waste and storm water problems and have extensive knowledge of EPA regulations as they relate to the Clean Water

Act. The City of Maumee also utilizes a number of professionally licensed utility engineers who have thousands a combined years of experience benchmarking not only other community’s strategies toward reducing (SSOs) but have actually produced many of the strategies utilized in other communities.

• The City publicly bid and awarded the consulting work necessary to comply with the State of Ohio EPA “Directors Findings and Orders”. Stantec Consulting Engineers, an internationally recognized firm specializing in wastewater treatment and remediation as well as economic and financial rate analysis, was retained in 2021. Stantec also aided city staff in completing the Sanitary sewer atlas in GIS. They remain under contract and actively work with staff to both study the system and recommend remediation strategies.
• ADS Environmental Services was retained in 2020 to provide leased sanitary flow meters, in addition to those paid for and provided by the Ohio EPA, and read and analyze the data recorded by the meters. Metering is continual. As the process evolves ADS, as directed by City staff, is expected to move meters throughout the system in an attempt to compare interventions already finalized to a constantly moving baseline.
• Jones & Henry and Mannik Smith, additional consulting engineering firms specializing in wastewater treatment alternatives, were retained early in the process (2020) to provide grant writing and to perform “smoke testing” services in areas suspected of having direct inflow sources such as downspouts and catch basins. The City eliminated almost all commercial property storm water connections to its sanitary sewers as of the second quarter of 2024. The City has also required and verified removal of a myriad of residential downspout connections according to the same timing.
• Finally, City staff and its experienced consultants are well aware of what other similar communities are doing in terms of remediating SSOs and the financing of that remediation. It is helpful for all of us to understand that determining similarity of communities while seemingly simple is truly not. Many factors are at play as to how an individual community addresses these problems even if each community embraces specific, commonly agreed upon, preeminent practices and theories.

How are other cities tackling this same problem without forcing immediate, costly repairs directly on homeowners? #

1. The answer to this question is difficult for several reasons:
   1. First, insomuch as “forcing immediate” repairs are concerned, the City will likely get less than 20 years to comply with the “Directors Findings and Orders” and, in SSO remediation terms, this is a very short period of time. In whatever short time the City has, a number of compliance issues must be addressed with the final outcome being NO Illicit Discharges. To

accomplish that goal the city and its residents will need to be aggressive enough to substantially reduce its inflow and infiltration (I&I) and will need to do so even faster if a 15-year compliance schedule is decided. It is also imperative that (I&I) be reduced quickly, (possibly 5 years) to offset the need to install expensive sanitary sewage storage tanks and maintain them over time, which will only serve to substantially increase water and sewer rates.

• Secondly, repairing improper sump pump connections and eliminating footer drain connections to the sanitary sewer laterals are far less expensive than complete lateral lining and/or replacement. At the very least, footer drains and sump pumps must work as intended without discharging storm water to the sanitary lateral.
  • Lastly, whether we believe it to be the case or not, all costs associated with remediating Clean Water Act Violations are born by Maumee taxpayers. There are essentially only three choices: Spread the cost over the entire population within the City (via some voted tax, rate, or fee), have property owners pay costs associated with their own property, or a combination of both.

Did the City reach out to EPA for free integrated planning advice for municipalities? #

1. The City of Maumee did not need to reach out to the EPA for free integrated planning advice as the integrated planning approach is a term used by the EPA to demonstrate that they are willing to exhaust all options allowed by the Clean Water Act (CWA) to aid communities in their compliance efforts. This integration with the EPA and the City has been ongoing since the City of Maumee first reported itself in 2020. Not one day has gone by in the last 4 years where a city staff member, consultant, and/or EPA official hasn’t either studied, analyzed, repaired, or collaborated to fix Maumee’s SSO problem.
2. Regardless of the EPA’s willingness to engage communities, compliance schedules must follow and be consistent with the Federal Code of Regulations 40 (CFR) section 122.7 which stipulates time frames for community compliance as suggested in Table 1 listed earlier in this document.
3. The Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) discussed above and currently being undertaken is one such measure where the city is attempting to integrate and balance the community’s financial ability to pay with additional time to comply.

How would a city owned-operated sewage treatment plant help address the SSO problem? #

1. It might perhaps help but at what cost to residents? Considering the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant costs approximately 12 to 15 million dollars for one million gallons of average flow per day (mgd) and the fact that Maumee would plausibly need an 8 to 10 million (mgd) plant including residual inflow and infiltration contributions. This equates to between 96 million and 150,000 million dollars to construct, another 5 to 7 million annually to operate such a plant including but not limited to wages, benefits, electricity, chemicals, filtering, lab costs, reporting, and other Operation, Maintenance, and Repairs (OM&R) items.
2. If the City of Maumee decided to build a new wastewater treatment facility it would still need to construct significant underground sanitary flow storage as the city could not imaginably absorb the costs needed the reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) which might offset the need for storage tank in the first place. (Approximate Total Cost, 432 million dollars for a high combined cost of 582 million dollars).
3. As Maumee moves forward with a multi-facetted approach of I&I reduction and smaller storage tank construction, it appears that constructing and operating its own wastewater treatment plant would only add unnecessary and unsustainable costs for residents.

Why can’t homeowners and friends perform or instruct the repair work to keep costs down? #

1. Homeowners can perform plumbing work in a home they own and where they principally reside. The prohibition arises when a non-owner occupant or an owner, non-occupant decides to perform work in a home without the required State of Ohio licensure and insurance to perform the work.
2. Plumbing work inside a home requires either a licensed commercial contractor or an apprentice working under a licensed plumber according to Ohio Revised Code (ORC). This requirement is to ensure the work is completed in a way that protects the occupants from substandard and potentially life-threatening installations.
3. The City’s affidavit, required when requesting any permit, is simply a form to inform an occupant, contractor, and/or owner of their legal obligations regarding the performance of work performed.

Whose dollars should be spent to repair deficiencies — city, homeowner, both? #

1. The only dollars any city has are afforded to it by its property owners, rate payers, and taxpayers. All costs associated with addressing and/or remediating Clean Water Act Violations and in Maumee’s case, SSOs, are born by private property owners and taxpayers. There are essentially only three choices: Spread

the cost over the entire tax paying population within the City, have property owners pay costs associated with their own property, or a combination of both. A combination of both appears to be the only alternative to be legally responsible.

Has the city exhausted every avenue of grant/loan funding? #

1. The City has researched all grant programs applicable to the problem it faces. It is currently utilizing Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) low-interest loan funds to re-line public sanitary sewer mains to reduce I&I. The City has received four such low-interest loans over the past 5 years and are in the process of applying for two more this year to perform remediation in one of its most important areas.
2. The City also nominated for 12 million dollars in low interest loans in 2021, 2022, and 2023. We will also nominate for 15 million or more in 2024 to be used in 2025. A nomination is a simple notification to the State of Ohio what a municipality might apply for in the next fiscal year. To expound, this money will be expended in the City rights of way (ROW) unless it can solicit and receive special dispensation from the Ohio State Attorney General and the State Auditor that these public funds can be reloaned to a private homeowner for work inside their property.
3. The City, on encouragement from the State EPA, applied for 10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in 2021/2022 but did not receive an award.

Did Maumee follow-up with the $12MM loan program in 2021? #

1. Yes, the City nominated itself for 12 million dollars in low interest loans in 2021, 2022, and 2023. We will also nominate for the same or more in 2024 to be used in 2025. A nomination is a simple notification to the State of Ohio of what a municipality might apply for in the next fiscal year. To expound, this money will be expended in the City rights of way (ROW) unless it can solicit and receive special dispensation from the Ohio State Attorney General and the State Auditor that these public funds can be reloaned to a private homeowner.
   1. Even though two communities have re-loaned these funds, the loans cover only a fraction of the amounts necessary to correct the problems required as a condition of receiving the loan. (Please see below)

Will the city show all grants/loans applied for to deal with sanitary sewer issues and for those not awarded, the reasons for not receiving them? #

1. Contrary to information incorrectly touted on social media, Maumee has aggressively pursued funding, through grants and bonds, to help defray the cost of the projects:

Summary of Funded Projects

• 2020 – EPA funds to retain smoke testing firm Grant: approximately

$125,000

• 2020 – EPA purchase sanitary flow meter for the City: approximately

$325,000

• 2021 – Ohio Public Works Commission grant for Uptown Phase 1 lining project. Grant $287,800 – Project Cost: $487,800
  • 2022 – Ohio Public Works Commission grant for Uptown Phase 2 lining project Grant $300,000 – Project Cost: $510,000
  • 2022 – Ohio Public Works Commission grant for Uptown Phase 3 lining project Grant $280,000 – Project Cost: $562.654
  • 2023 – Ohio Public Works Commission grant for Uptown Phase 4 lining project Grant $294,000 – Project Cost: $596,680.

Summary of grants that the City of Maumee applied for but did not receive:

• 2021 – ARPA Economic Development Administration:
  • 2021 – ARPA Economic Development Administration: Clear Water Removal Funding request: $5 million (Total Project: $7.95 million) Not funded
  • 2024 – Ohio Environmental Protection Agency East Side-Lining project Funding Request: $3.72 million (Project Cost: $4.13 million) Not funded
• Ohio EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund City Nominated for I/I removal
  • 2021 – $12 million (nomination only) (SSES not complete)
  • 2022 – $12 million (nomination only) (SSES not complete)
  • 2023 – $12 million (nomination only) (SSES not complete) Summary of grants/loans that the city will apply for:
  • 2025 – Ohio Public Works Commission grant/loan Phase 5 project – cost

$1 million

• Ohio Public Works Commission grant/loan Phase 6 Project – cost $1 million

• 2025 – Phase 6(a) Project – cost $585,000
  • 2026 – Phase 6(b) Project – cost $415,000
  • Ohio EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund – (Nomination) 2024/25 $15 million

What resources have been dedicated to seeking and applying for grants and/or low- interest loans? #

1. The City dedicates extensive staff time as well as consulting engineer time to researching and applying for grant/loan programs applicable to programs specifically available to fund SSOs and other corrective measures directly related to the same. City Administration and consulting engineers have extensive experience in grant writing.
2. It is not necessary to dedicate additional effort or funds beyond which the City staff and consultants have already applied for unless additional funding and program opportunities become available. The City will continue to press forward and research all opportunities.

Can other capital monies be re-directed to fixing sewer issues? #

1. Perhaps. Directing other capital funds for enterprise fund expense can depend on the eventual use of those funds, the legal mechanism by which those funds were authorized, whether there exists a fairness principle where one taxpayer is responsible to pay for operational expenses of a fee-based commodity when they may not receive the same service, or
2. Laws exist that prohibit City capital funds being used to pay enterprise fund (water/sewer) expenses. Even if the City was afforded the ability to cross pay these expenses, we still do not levy enough in terms of fees and taxes to pay for the enormous costs we face for eliminating Sanitary Sewer Overflows.
3. To be sure, the City of Maumee also provides other services that residents demand and expect like, police, fire, streets, etc. and there are very limited dollars from which to provide those services.

Why does the City assume that using Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) funds for private property is illegal when other cities received commendations from the EPA? #

The City of Maumee has yet to determine if loaning funds for sanitary sewer repairs inside a private home is actually compliant with the spirit of the Ohio State Auditor’s opinion regarding “public funds for private purpose” advisory. According McClure v. Hagerman, 155 Ohio St. 320 (1951), “Expenditures made by a governmental unit are to serve a public purpose and cannot be arbitrary or unreasonable”.

The City is requesting opinions from both the Ohio State Attorney General and State Auditor as to the legality of re-loaning public funds whether state or locally sponsored.

Why would a city-sponsored loan program charge 4.6% to 7% when other communities have such programs charging 2% (e.g., Avon Lake)? #

The City of Maumee has yet to determine if loaning funds for sanitary sewer repairs inside a private home is actually compliant with the spirit of the Ohio State Auditor’s opinion regarding “public funds for private purpose” advisory.

1. Regarding the Avon Lake example: Avon Lake received funds through the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA).
2. Avon Lake Regional Water borrowed funds at 0% and loans the money to residents to rehabilitate/replace their sewer laterals at a time when 0% loans were actually offered. Their maximum loan amount is $4,000. Their loan term is 10 years with a 2% interest rate. Customers are billed for the loan quarterly on their normal water and sewer bill. As payments are received, they are deposited into a segregated lateral loan fund. Avon Lake Regional Water must utilize property owners payment and interest earned to pay the debt service to the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA). The purpose of the original loan to the Avon Lake Regional Water District was to institute a revolving loan fund administer by the District. Maumee is simply requesting authority from the State Auditor and Attorney General for to do the same.
3. The OWDA awarded 9 low-interest loans to communities at interest rates ranging from 3.53% to 4.03% for tax-exempt issuances.
4. If Maumee were to apply through the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) it would be required to pay 1.25% lower than market rate or approximately 3% tax exempt. If it is determined that the City can re-loan these funds for private purpose the City would charge that interest rate plus an additional 1.5 to 2% spread to assure bond coverage and adequately build a local revolving loan fund much the same as did Aven Lake.
5. To clarify, should the City borrow these funds, repayment will be required, and that repayment is covered through rates and fees charged to residents and businesses and may very likely reduce the City’s ability to fund other remediation for (SSO) efforts.
6. Avon Lake Water District was able to negotiate deferred payments for 5 years so that they could build a reasonable cash flow and fund their revolving loan fund.
7. Avon Lake places liens on homes for unpaid balances. In fact, they had to take 9 property owners to court for failure to comply with their ordinance and have taken steps to shut off utilities to a home whose owners did not comply.

• Avon Lake is one of the many communities where responsibility for sanitary sewer laterals all the way to the public main are the responsibility of the private property owner.
• According to Avon Lakes Water District CEO, their original intent was to build sanitary sewage storage tanks at a very high cost and because they have reduced their Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) significantly, they have yet to construct these large structures. However, they are not done, and the EPA is asking when they will build their storage tanks which is an indication that Avon Lake will continue to aggressively pursue (I&I) reduction.
• Again, Avon Lake staff agree, building large storage tanks is the very last solution a community should consider, especially if the community is smaller in nature.

Are there funds available from the 2023 federal infrastructure bill for Maumee? #

No, these funds are exhausted at the federal level.

Can home waterproofing companies that installed sump pumps to sanitary sewer lines be held liable for financial damages? Can the City research how many homes could be affected? #

1. Unfortunately, the City has no way of enforcing against a company that performed work we were not aware of. This is an example of why pulling permits is so important. City staff are available to review work proposed by contractors when permits are pulled so that we may be able to advise homeowners ahead of time.
2. The City suggests homeowners retain advice of legal counsel as to steps for holding contracts liability for faulty workmanship.

Can the ordinance that makes homeowners responsible for work in the right-of-way be repealed (or modified for exceptions)? Why was it changed in November 2022? #

1. Yes, the ordinance clarifying responsibility for sanitary sewer laterals in the public rights of way can be repealed or be modified with exceptions, although it is unclear what those exceptions might be since the City already has rules for repairing sanitary laterals in the right of way.

• The City will be lining or replacing sanitary sewer laterals in the public rights of way over the next 10 years, so it is not at all likely that a homeowner would be responsible for a repair anyway.
• It was revised to be more consistent with many other communities and intended to address mostly maintenance issues of the complete lateral including those

portions that lie with in the right of way, and which principally serve the affected property owner.

• Please see below for the economic reasons for the change. It was not because the City knew it would be replacing laterals on the large scale. The timing is simply coincidental. There is no conspiracy. Even if there were, it provided no benefit to the City or to a property owner individually. Private property owners will pay either way in the end, unfortunately.

Can the justification for passing the ordinance in 2022 making homeowners responsible for all sewer repairs in the ROW be justified with data? The reasons given (e.g., toys and animals in pipe) seem to be very low frequency of occurrence. #

1. For reference, please see answer regarding property owner responsibility to the sewer main above. Additionally, not every decision can be made and/or is prudently based on raw data. In some cases, conclusions can be surmised through a couple of economic principles and the confluence of both:
   1. Property Rights Principle: Some economists believe that there are essential public goods and services, such as streets and main line sewers, that should be provided and maintained centrally by the government simply because it is more efficient to do so, and it is difficult to determine specific benefit to each user. On the other hand, there are some public “like” services and infrastructure that should be owned, operated, and maintained privately because they are easier to determine specific benefit to a user.
   1. Waste Producers Pay Principle: Often referred to as “Polluters Pay

Principle”, is an assumption and declaration utilized worldwide in terms of allocating environmental costs and responsibility. It holds those who contribute to an environmental hazard responsible for the costs associated with managing their own waste product.

• The confluence of these principles recognizes the idea that a public sanitary sewer main is typically large enough and serves the purpose of transferring waste from multiple private properties or units, therefore its costs are spread against all who benefit. Conversely, a smaller, single sanitary lateral only transmits waste from a particular property or unit to the larger public sanitary main collector and thus cost of maintenance and repair is born by the property owner served. A sanitary sewer lateral, in this case would not exist if the home in question did not exist much the same as an electrical drop and/or natural gas service, both of which are the responsibility of the property owner regardless of where the main gas line or electrical infrastructure is located.

How much of the excessive volumes are likely caused by infiltration on private property sewer laterals? #

1. Extensive research exists which contemplates both the impact of infiltration of ground water in older sanitary sewer laterals and the material of which these laterals are made. Considering the overall age of Maumee’s housing stock, it is likely that private properties in our City have similar material deficiencies and infiltration problems.
2. According to Sullivan, Lauderdale, and Snead (2001), communities that have a higher number of older homes where sanitary laterals were not constructed of HDPE, laterals can contribute up to 70% of a residential area’s (I&I). (Water Environment Foundation, 2001). This is plausible since sanitary sewer laterals likely represent over 65% of the total sanitary system in terms of length in many communities throughout our Country. The ratio of sanitary laterals to mainline in Maumee is estimated to be approximately 60% to 65% lateral line.
3. Furthermore, in a quantitative study published in Environmental Protection Engineering, a researcher submits that specific properties of clay pipe make it far more susceptible to cracking, failure, and leaks and environmental risk that pipe made of more modern material. (HDPE). (Kuliczkowska, 2017).
4. Again, considering the age of Maumee’s housing stock, it stands to reason that there are far more fragile clay sewer laterals than modern (HDPE) pipe.
5. Even though the City Council repealed an ordinance which required laterals be replaced to the main upon sale if they are in poor condition, at some point, clay laterals will likely have to be addressed. When every other method of I&I reduction is complete, correction may still be necessary if reduction goals are not met. In any event it is probable that the City will repair, re-line, or replace sanitary sewer laterals in the rights of way.

Has the baseline analysis identified I&I flows in sufficient detail to target specific actions? #

1. While analysis commencing with an accurate baseline is preferred, since it affords a clear starting point from which future interventional successes can be measured, it is also important for the baseline to remain flexible in order to respond to changing climate events and economic conditions in our community. For example, it is extremely important that we, as a community recognize that how we addressed the Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). We historically ignored the problem and bypass pumped sanitary flow to the Maumee River and covered it up by submitting fraudulent annual MS4 reports to the Ohio EPA as well as failed to submit overflow reports to Lucas County who is the agency that actually possesses the applicable NPDES Permit. The day the City Administration reported these misdeeds, was the day our new baseline began.

• Since that day in July of 2020, the City’s baseline continues to change, not because of any failure of the Mayor, City Council, or City Staff, but because the successes we achieved over the last 4 years in reducing inflow and infiltration (I&I) in Maumee’s sanitary sewer system. And, as anyone understands, when repairs are continually undertaken, the baseline changes. We are essentially “victims of our own success”, and our residents are the beneficiaries regardless of whether the City can easily and succinctly compare data from 2020 (baseline) against multiple, successful interventions over the last 4 years.
• Research clearly suggests that leaking clay laterals are a problem and do indeed contribute to I&I but to what extent compared to other components of a substandard system on private property are less conspicuous. As stated earlier, I&I cannot be significantly eliminated absent future efforts by property owners to re-line or replace laterals which are made of substandard material.

What is the city’s plan for reducing I&I for city-owned sewer? #

1. Replacing old sanitary sewer mains with SDR 35 High Density Polyethene is likely the best solution, but also the most expensive considering public streets that would need extensive repair or replacement after main repairs are made.
2. Considering the high expense of the prior, and because the technology is far better than it used to be, the City will be re-lining all it’s sanitary mains which are not already lined or are considered leakproof because of the material of which they are made. The plan is to complete the lining within 7 to 10 years, mostly financed through user rates and low interest loans.

Why do clay pipes need to be replaced if they are not broken? #

Even though clay sanitary sewer laterals likely all leak on a regular basis regardless of whether they are broken, The City, at this time, does not require the replacement or lining of a clay sanitary sewer lead that is in good repair.

Please see “excessive volumes and sewer lateral” answer above.

Can we prioritize steps toward the goal and measure how effectively the solutions are working? #

Yes, City staff and City Council continually re-prioritize when new data is available. This is the same process we have followed over the past 4.5 years. City staff continually make adjustments in the sanitary sewer system even though the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey has not received final approved by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA). Unfortunately, the EPA may not approve the timeline the city believes necessary to resolve its SSO problems. Whether the time allotted is 15 years

or 20, this is still a very limited period, and the city must move to reduce I&I as soon as possible. The City will continue monitoring sanitary flow rates to ascertain the effect of other prior and ongoing interventions.

What other options were explored and dismissed and why? #

1. It is not clear what options to which this question refers. However, for purposes of clarity, we can assume that it is referencing what other options there are to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements as they relate to Maumee’s sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) dilemma.
2. As any other issue the City faces, staff not only researches best practices and other more recent research, but the city also retains specialized consultants in many cases. The sanitary sewer overflow issue is what many in this field refer to as a “catch 22”.
3. Essentially, the City’s options are as follows:
   1. Build a very large amount of sanitary sewage storage (80-100 million gallons) in underground storage at a cost of approximately $5 to $6 per gallon which includes the addition of large transmission sewer main necessary to get the flow to the storage from area that are already significantly restricted or,
   1. Significantly reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) where the need for underground storage is either significantly curtailed or eliminated at an estimated cost of approximately 164 – 180 million dollars adjusted for inflation,
   1. Install additional trunk line sewers to more rapidly move flow from the city to the Lucas County treatment facility. Not only would this be an extremely expensive alternative to install, but the ongoing costs for operations/maintenance and treatment would be many times that paid now by ratepayers. Additionally, it is unclear if Lucas County has the capacity to treat the total flow it would receive from Maumee during a wet weather event.
4. The City of Maumee and its staff is in a tenuous position because while the city is working diligently with the EPA and its staff to remedy the prohibited SSOs to the Maumee River, it will sadly still need to employ the previously mentioned pumps in locations as depicted below to prohibit flooding a myriad of residential basements. A “catch 22” of sorts exists since the ORC section 6111.07 states that “no person shall violate or fail to perform any duty”. Thus, if staff operate the above referenced pumps to prevent basement flooding which alleviates or eliminates an acute public health risk then they have violated the law. Conversely, if staff does not place pumps in fear of future prosecution for

willfully violating the law, then they would be found to have broken the law by failing to perform a task that eliminates an acute public health risk.

Are sewer repairs in Uptown receiving more attention than other “hot spot” areas that could have bigger benefit? #

1. Sanitary and storm sewer repairs in the entire 50-acre area uptown are now complete in cooperation with other Uptown improvements. The uptown area in Maumee, if it had not already undergone repairs in the last three years would have been considered in the current SSES as a “hotspot”.
2. Preliminary analysis by staff determined that the Uptown area sanitary sewer mains were in immediate need of lining due to significant storm water infiltration entering the system.
3. The City is striving to act in a holistic manner to address the very difficult issues we face.

Do we have a timeline to follow? #

While the City has been working diligently over the past 4 and a half years and already completed repairs which have resulted in significant reduction in inflow and infiltration (I&I), a set timeline has yet to be established. A more detailed timeline will be developed in consultation with the City’s consulting engineers, city staff, and the Ohio EPA once the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey (SSES) is finally approved by the EPA.

Has or will Maumee set intermediate goals and timing in its plan to reach zero SSOs (e.g., 10% reduction by year 2, 25% reduction by year 5, 50% reduction by year 10)? #

1. The City of Maumee is still working with the Ohio EPA in an effort to determine timing of SSO elimination. However, time is limited and anything the City can do now absent an approved Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey (SSES) makes an immense difference in terms of offsetting cost to its residents.
2. The city actually proposed, as stated earlier, a 20-year period to reduce SSOs by controlling for a 10-year storm event, a 25% reduction in (I&I), as well as the construction of 9 to 12 million gallons of sanitary sewage storage, although it appears that the City has been told by the EPA that it must eliminate SSOs altogether. This requirement, as well as the City’s proposed SSES solution will be extremely difficult to achieve without a very substantial reduction in inflow and infiltration (I&I).
3. Many of the City’s SSO violations occur further up in the system, due in part to older, combination sewer mains that have been converted to carry sanitary flow and in large part because of substantial I&I to the sanitary system. When the community experiences substantial rainfall, these mains are overwhelmed and

must be pumped to another outlet, (storm sewers), which offsets the likelihood of sanitary sewage backing up into basements.

• While scheduling is certainly needed, it is very hard to imagine what such a timetable would look like at this point in time, considering the City is yet to perform an FCA and the EPA has yet to decide how long the City will get to remediate its SSO problem.
• In order to markedly reduce the risk of future SSO events in the City, inflow and infiltration must reduce by 25- 35% over the next 4 to 5 years. This is actually a huge amount to reduce. Unfortunately, a large component of this I&I comes from private residential properties according to the draft 2024 SSES. Another portion comes from leaking sanitary mains in the rights of way as well, which must be lined as quickly as possible while recognizing monetary constraints.

Are there enough inspectors on the city payroll to do the work? #

Yes, The City has sufficiently, extremely qualified staff to perform all sewer inspections.

Does the city administration need additional personnel to manage planning and implementation activities? #

1. The City Administration can always use more help in terms of additional staff. However, every dollar spent on additional staff is one dollar not available to pay for remediation. Additional staff might be better utilized in the project managing and sewer divisions. It is true that this SSO remediation is proving to be a monumental endeavor.
2. Additional staff needs must also be determined based on what overall solution is chosen.

Does Maumee’s storm sewer have the capacity to accept increased storm water flow when inflow sources on homes are eliminated? #

1. It is assumed this question is asked because the person doing so believes there is actually a gallon for gallon offset when storm water connections are eliminated from the sanitary sewer system.
2. That is not and will not be the case as the EPA and ODNR as well as the City does not encourage direct connections of sump pumps and downspouts to storm sewer mains. In fact, the preferred method of discharge of storm water is to a lawn, French drain/rain garden, and/or buried stone receiving pit. It is preferred as a measure of slowing the discharge of storm water to the river to avoid downstream flooding much in keeping to the same philosophy as is employed for commercial and industrial storm water detention or retention.

• The City’s storm sewer system is sufficient to carry the rain events it experiences.

What plans are in place for storm sewer changes/upgrades to accommodate increased flow? #

As stated above, there is no need nor plans to change the city’s storm sewer system to accommodate additional flow that should be far less volume than the system is designed to handle. Most of the changes the city is planning to make in its storm water system relate to separating hydo-carbons and floatable solids.

How does yard debris (i.e., leaves, grass clippings) affect proper storm sewer operation? Could this be contributing to the problem? Findlay, OH experience) #

1. No, Yard debris is not contributing to Maumee’s sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) problems.
2. Yard debris (leaves and grass clippings) can affect the City’s proper storm sewer operation. However, The City of Maumee has few if any deficiencies in its storm water collection system. However, the City’s MS4 permit which is authorized under the Ohio Water Pollution Control Act (WPCA) stipulates that property owners place fallen leaves in the grass terrace area instead of the street so that they can be properly removed by city crews. Additionally, blowing grass clippings in the streets are prohibited.
3. Findlay, Ohio is not a good comparison for either sanitary or storm related matters for a couple of reasons:
   1. Findlay still experiences Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), unlike Maumee which has already separated its combined sewers back in the 1990s. Considering Findlay still has a number of combined sewers, (one sewer main carrying both storm and sanitary), it stands to reason that yard debris might present a significant problem. Furthermore, Maumee’s separated storm sewer system is large enough to transmit storm water flow to the Maumee River or the Swan Creek system efficiently. Yard debris, even though it could pose problems in the storm sewer collection system are abated do to regular cleaning schedules. To be clear, debris in storm sewers do not affect sanitary flow as the two systems are principally not connected.
   1. Unlike Maumee’ sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), Findlay’s combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are exacerbated by much of the flooding the city has historically experienced. Findlay has 10 (CSO) outfall locations and upon review of Findlay’s (CSO) mapping it appears that some, if not all these locations are inundated by flood waters which also carry debris.

Maumee’s problem is directly related to rain fall events rather than rain and floods combined.

Are there any concerns about how the Turnpike stormwater drainage system affects #

Maumee’s sanitary sewer overflows, especially in the area near Michigan Avenue?

There are no concerns regarding the Ohio Turnpike drainage system and any potential effect on the Maumee sanitary sewer system regardless of the location.

Why don’t all city streets/areas have storm sewers? Where does the water go? #

1. Some areas in the city are served by ditches and old swales that are sometimes unrecognizable as storm water transmission systems and rainwater either absorbs into the ground or eventually makes its way to other storm outlets. It is important to note that while not every property has a storm water main running the length of the frontage, the streets are sloped in such a way that curbs transfer storm water to catch basin that are many times located on the radii of intersections.
2. There are several areas within the City that experience limited flooding in yards as a result of rain event where the ground cannot absorb enough water. There is a possibility that these areas may be contributing to the City’s SSO problem through leaking sanitary laterals.

Heilman ditch needs to be fixed as well as Maumee sewers. How does this additional financial burden affect residents? #

1. Staff is unaware of any major fix needed in the Heilman Ditch.

• If there is no large fix required, then cost should be limited and if necessary be addressed through general fund of the city as that is the cost center appropriate to this drainage.

The drainage ditches used to fill with water decades ago, but no longer; does the water go into the sanitary sewer? #

No, storm water from the drainage ditches in our community do not enter the sanitary sewer system. The City’s ditches are far better maintained now, and water moves more efficiently which one of the reasons many may believe there is less water.

Has the Lucas County Recreation Center been fixed by the county? NO #

1. City flow meters indicate significant storm water infiltration coming from the County Recreation/Fairgrounds property. The City placed sanitary flow meters several years ago at each sanitary outlet leading from the County property to the City’s sanitary sewer system on both Michigan Avenue and Key Street. Both continue to record significant amounts on infiltration. Lucas County has been invoiced almost 2.1 million dollars for sewer charges and refuses to pay our residents back for this significant “illicit” contribution.
2. The City has participated in negotiations with County representatives to no avail. The last offer made to the City to resolve the issue was to offer roughly $750,000 to settle the invoice which represents approximately 35% of what is owed. Their offer was also absent any requirement to fix the problem going forward and to date our resident have already picked up another 3 months of billing, the County will not pay.

Within the Red Zone, what is the contribution of Lucas County Recreation Center property and apartments near the Turnpike compared to all single-family homes? #

1. Redzones on any of the maps in the draft SSES submission represent tributary areas that eventually discharge to sewer where a sanitary flow meter is located. They may not be indicative of the contribution of a specific property to the infiltration problems we face.
2. While the flow meters do not necessarily indicate what infiltration is present and contributing to the City’s main sanitary system from the apartment complex next to the Ohio Turnpike on Key Street, they do indicate significant storm water infiltration coming from the County Recreation/Fairgrounds property. The City placed sanitary flow meters at each sanitary outlet leading from the County property to the City’s sanitary sewer system on both Michigan Avenue and Key Street. Both continue to record significant amounts on infiltration. Lucas County has been invoiced almost 2.1 million dollars for sewer charges and refuses to pay our residents back for this significant “illicit” contribution.

How is the increased revenue from higher water/sewer bills being used? #

1. Increase revenue derived from the last increase in water sewer bills are being used to re-line and repair sanitary sewer mains in an effort to reduced inflow and infiltration, It is the City’s intention to re-line all substandard sanitary sewer mains in the rights of way including laterals that are located in the public realm.
2. To a much lesser degree these extra funds are aiding personnel, material and other general maintenance costs of the Division.

Does the city seek to constrain/reduce rental properties by treating them differently from owner-occupied properties in ordinances? #

1. No, the City welcomes rental properties as they provide additional diverse, cost- effective housing solutions within our community. However, it is imperative that rental housing be maintained in a manner which provides safety for it residents and serves to stabilize property values in the areas such housing is available.
2. Single-family owner-occupied housing is typically separated in zoning areas and therefore specific restrictions are necessary to maintain the character of those neighborhoods. However, new planning research suggests communities diversify their housing stock with zoning districts but still maintain aesthetics and safety components necessary to for building and sustaining strong neighborhoods.

Why are people who own multiple homes disqualified from the proposed grants? #

1. Grant qualification is limited based on a sliding scale and need.
2. Limited to an asset test for those who own more than three properties. However, a property owner is eligible for a grant for their personal home they occupy provided they qualify otherwise under the income restriction.
3. A resident who owns more than three units is considered to have more economic opportunity than those individuals who possess one home. Income disparity is real and is exacerbated by many factors, one of which is the proportion of everyday expenses to a family’s income level. According to the PEW Research Center, the growth of income in recent decades is skewed toward upper income households. In contrast, low- and middle-income households has seen a remarkable decrease in income and wealth over the same period. Middle income families in 1971 made up 62% of the total aggregate income in the United States and higher income families represented only 29% of the total. Whereas, in 2018, upper income household represent more than half of the total American aggregate income at roughly 50%- and middle-income household now are at 43% a drop of one-third over 50 years.
4. It stands to reason that wealth building follows the same lines. Those with less resources own less property and have less accumulated wealth. The disparities intensify when considering race and gender according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR, 2023).
5. It is a common belief that owning multiple properties afford families an ability to build disposable income over time through rental income and other tax benefits which are not available to those with less income and lower rates of home ownership.
6. The Tiers are as follows:

• Based on 250% of Maumee’s Area Median Income (AMI) ($198,007 or less)
  • Based on 125% of Maumee’s Area Median Income (AMI)($99,022 or less)
  • Based on 80% of Maumee’s Area Median Income (AMI) ( $63,373 or less)

How should residents with multiple homes be treated? #

1. The City recognizes that many of our residents face difficult financial challenges, and some are senior citizens living on what is essentially fixed income levels. It stands to reason that those who might have more resources available for inflow and infiltration (I&I) reduction interventions cover these costs. Please note that in any event, grant eligibility is restricted to work performed in the public rights of way.

3. To the extent a homeowner/resident has an income which exceeds 250% of Maumee’s Area Median Income (AMI) or ($195,000/household) and owns more than two additional properties, they will not qualify for a needs-based grant reserved for those who are struggling the most.

The decision to adopt the inspection ordinance seemed to have been made very quickly. How much information was considered by Council? #

1. It is assumed that this question refers to the Conveyance ordinance. The conveyance ordinance which required a sewer inspection prior to sale of a property, was introduced on the City Council agenda the Monday evening prior to its passing the City Council by unanimous vote a couple of days later.
2. The City had just received the draft SSES report from Stantec, the City’s consulting engineer. The Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey was presented to the Mayor and City Council in an effort to consider the legal ramifications to the City for non-compliance. The City Council considered 12 years remaining on the

“Directors Findings and Orders” regarding compliance and that timeline related to the 20 years the City would be requesting of the EPA. The Mayor and City Council were appraised regularly regarding what the City Administration and staff were doing in terms of compliance and were informed of every directive, upper-level discussion, inspection, and investigative interview held with both Federal and State EPA officials.

• The Mayor and City Council have been and continue to be notified of every Sanitary Overflow event within 24 hours of each and every occurrence. All “5 Day Reports” are sent to Mayor and Council as well.
• The Mayor and City Council clearly understand what is at stake and are moving quickly to resolve difficult issues before it is no longer their choice.

Will other Council members take initiative to meet with and talk with residents? #

All Council Members, the Mayor, and City Administration are meeting with residents either through public forums at the Library, another location, and/or at City Roundtables schedule in the City Council Chambers. It is important to note that regardless of the location and individual Council member in attendance at each gathering, meetings held to date have solicited numerous questions that are answered herein and have culminated in some proposed viable solutions, all of which will be considered.

It is always a good idea to contact the Mayor and City Council members and request that they meet and discuss issue that concern you personally.

More Council members should be present for meetings with any agencies involved with the issue. #

The Mayor and City Council member are policymakers. They do not run the day-to-day operations of the City anymore than the School Board runs the day-to-day operations of the School System.

City organizational structure is set much the same as most Cities throughout the United States. City’s employ City Administrators, Managers and Department Directors to interact with regulatory agencies, service organizations, other public utilities, staff, and a myriad of other functions.

Council members need more knowledge about the entire situation with I&I; get educated. #

The Mayor and City Council have more command of the I&I problems the City faces than most members of City Councils who lead cities Maumee’s size. In fact, as generalists it is questionable whether it is possible for local elected officials to become expert in a majority of the problems dealt with by local government let alone all the problems.

A clear understanding of what local government does in a larger picture would be helpful to most. It is most certainly understood that residents live their own every day lives raising their families, going to events, and going to work is more than enough to fill one’s day.

Priorities of Council are not in line with what needs to be done for the benefit of all. #

The Mayor and City Council Members are all tax and rate payers charged with paying for these fixes just as anyone else. The question is really what constitutes “for the benefit of all”? No one will receive a benefit without considerable cost and there is no one else to pay but all of us. Whether each homeowner pays their own cost of repairs on and in their own property, or if the rates increase, or if taxpayers as whole pay, the entire cost will be borne by property owners and residents of Maumee. There just is no other way.

How was Council involved in developing the (recently repealed) plan? #

The recently repealed ordinance was only one component of a larger plan that needs to be authored through the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey (SSES). The City Council are policymakers not administrative personnel and as such research and receive information on a more limited basis as they have other employment.

Council will dismiss citizen concerns and say, “Ours is the only way.” #

This assertion is not accurate. No City official has ever uttered “Ours is the only way” The public discussion regarding this issue has been vast and the City has been afforded a significant number of suggestions by residents that may very well prove helpful in addressing the difficult problem the City faces. Although some of the suggestions may be implemented, some are more challenging. It is not official’s intention to be dismissive. However, we must all realize that many of the suggestions the City has received through much needed public input, have been considered many times over the last 4 years. Some suggestions, while important in their own right, do not provide an overall solution considering the City’s economic and/or legal restrictions.

Where are overflow readings taken and where are the numbers available to the public? #

Does the city measure outfall from newly annexed property?

1. No, measuring, (metering) either storm or sanitary outfall flow from newly annexed property, regardless of jurisdiction, when it has yet to be developed makes little sense and is certainly not related to the Sanitary Sewer Overflow problem that exists within the City of Maumee.
2. Please note that the Sanitary Sewer located in and around Fallen Timbers Mall and the City’s newly annexed property is served exclusively through Lucas County, not the City of Maumee.

Is the city no longer issuing permits for the repair of sewer laterals and only allowing lining or full replacement options? #

1. The City is issuing permits for partial replacement of Sanitary sewer laterals to the extent the repair necessary does not exceed roughly 50% of the entire length of the damaged lateral. In other words, the damage must be substantial and intermittent to warrant complete replacement. For example, if a lateral is broken or separated every four feet then complete replacement or re-lining may be necessary.

• Unfortunately. these determinations must be made in the field by City Sewer staff after considering and reviewing the performance of an appropriate sewer lateral video.

Sewer-lining vs. tree planting: which one has more immediate, measurable effect on reducing SSOs? Allocate city monies to the most cost-effective action. #

There are definitely more than two choices in terms of remediation actions for reducing SSOs, especially if you consider long-term, sustainable change. Green infrastructure such as tree planting can have a very long-lasting impact on both property values and storm water infiltration to sanitary sewers.

1. Sanitary Sewer lining is the most effective immediate intervention the City can undertake to offset Sanitary Sewer Overflows if one is comparing it to trees alone.
2. Footer drains disconnection and other forms of remediation are an important component.
3. According to a research study published in the National Library of Medicine (NIH), “The roles of trees in urban stormwater management”, Where improvements in gray infrastructure, (sanitary sewers) are prohibitively expensive or are not effective at mitigating sewer malfunctions attributable to excessive stormwater runoff, there is an opportunity to decentralize stormwater management practices throughout the system. In such cases Green infrastructure may be a viable means of reducing the volume of water reaching centralizing collection conveyance systems. The planting of numerous trees is a large component of this initiative.
4. Tree canopy interception loss is also an important reason what planting trees is so crucial to Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) mitigation because it reduces rainfall immediately making contact with soil. Tree canopy loss is specifically defined as the “sum of water stored in tree canopies and evaporated from tree surfaces”. Cities with larger tree canopies experience more interception and thus less problematic and drastic storm water runoff (Berland, Shifflett, Schuster, et al. 2017).

Why is the grant for work done in ROW based on income? If city was responsible for such costs, no income-based qualification would be necessary, would it? #

1. The right of way lateral sanitary sewer grant is based on income to provide assistance on a sliding scale to those most financially vulnerable in our community.
2. Correct, if the city is responsible for the costs of sanitary sewer laterals in the right of way, then no-income based qualification would be required. However,

that is not to say that all residents will be equally impacted. Since those who can easily afford repairs will receive a public benefits from those in the public who are unable to afford those repairs. Additionally, these repairs, regardless of who performs the work, will be paid by rate payers and rates per gallon are the same for higher and lower income residents alike.

How big a storage tank would be required if we stored all excess flow capacity today and how much would it cost? #

1. Approximately 80 million gallons in underground tank capacity at a cost of approximately $5 to $6 per gallon which includes the addition large relief transmission sewer mains necessary to get the flow to the storage from area that are already significantly restricted. The approximate cost of building a tank large enough to solve this problem today = $400 to $480 million.
2. This is obviously a very large number and is only an estimate based on providing enough storage and relief sewers to avoid basement flooding and SSO discharges.

What is the life expectancy of storage tanks? #

According to estimates discussed with the EPA and the City’s consulting engineers, underground sanitary storage facilities will need substantial repair and rehabilitation after approximately 25 years of utilization.

How can homeowners be confident that repair cost estimates are reasonable? #

City staff are available to review quotes received from contractors both to determine if the work quoted is actually necessary and/or if the pricing is reasonable considering current market pricing.

Why does it appear that so much rework occurs on city projects? #

Projects are very rarely constructed exactly per plan. Additionally, the City requires contractors to complete work to a very high standard. Sometimes that means that contractors are required to remove and replace infrastructure, much the same as some of the curb installed on the Anthony Wayne Trail Safety Project. We also require removal of sidewalk that is either installed improperly or cracks early in the curing stage which some have noticed over the past couple of years.

Why does an inspection last only five (5) years? #

This question is mute since the ordinance has been repealed. Although, the inspection period was never about re-inspecting after 5 years. It simply required homeowners to swear that no other illicit connections were made to the system that had previously been eliminated.

Current actions are affecting property values. #

The following are factors affecting housing values in most metropolitan areas:

1. Deferred maintenance (frail roof, materials, infrastructure, mold, etc)
2. Home improvements that do not comply with code
3. Outdated kitchens and bathrooms
4. Poor workmanship
5. Lack of curb appeal (poor landscaping)
6. Noise pollution. Location close uses that produce loud noises (traffic)
7. Registered sex offenders living close by?
8. Vacant and deteriorating homes
9. Asbestos on pipes and old furnaces
10. Whether smoking residual contamination exists
11. Changes in the real estate market
12. Increasing mortgage rates
13. Crime rate
14. School system quality
15. Well-kept infrastructure such as streets, sewers, parks
16. Amenities. Is the property close to gyms restaurants, and cultural centers?

The point of this list is to suggest that there are many factors that affect home values. Positive replies individually to any number of the above list does not guarantee home value stability or decline. However, positive condition of any of the above does cost money to achieve. The question might be asked that if a buyer understood that improper sanitary connections existed, what might be the negative value impact of not fixing the deficiency rather than if repairing the deficiency actually reduced a home’s value. The answer to the latter is likely in favor of the repair.

How much are we charged by the county/Toledo to process sanitary waste per 1,000 gallons? #

1. Toledo does not process sanitary waste from the City of Maumee.
2. Lucas County charges a 16.3% of the total debt and operating cost of the multi- community system. According to flow data, the City of Maumee represents over

16% of the total flow as compared to other communities like Sylvania, Monclova, Waterville, Whitehouse, Sylvania Township etc.

• The City of Maumee passes those costs as well as its own debt, and operational costs of its own collection system to its customers.

City has not updated maps of city sewers for recent projects, so GIS data is wrong. #

This assertion is not at all accurate. The City’s sanitary and storm sewer GIS maps are updated and have been since early 2021. This is one of the very first steps the City took prior to commencing sanitary flow metering in its system. Stantec, the City’s consulting engineer aided in this endeavor.

Why must sanitary sewer drain clean-outs located in the basement be relocated outside? #

1. Sanitary sewer clean-outs DO NOT have to be located outside.
2. However, it makes any needed future repairs easier to complete.

Reports in Toledo Blade and WTOL from 2021 through summer 2024 indicated that EPA gave Maumee until 2051 to fix the problem; was this accurate? If not, why not? #

1. The EPA never stated the city of Maumee could have until 2051 to fix the problem. If the news outlets reported such information, then yes, that is inaccurate.
2. City of Maumee never suggested that the Ohio EPA would even consider a 30- year period to remediate Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs).

Property owners with no illegal connections should not be taxed for problems in other property owners’ homes. #

1. This is a philosophical comment, but yes, some homeowners with correct connections have clearly stated they do not want to pay costs associated with the repair work on other people’s private property especially if the former’s homes have either proper connections or repaired earlier.

If City is concerned about using public funds for private uses, why was Ohio AG’s office not contacted years ago to seek definitive guidance? Other communities seem to be doing it. #

1. We believe that other communities did not seek definitive guidance before allocating public money for private use. The City of Maumee will seek input from the Attorney General and the State Auditor’s office as to whether or not they

consider the act of spending public funds inside a private home is an appropriate and legal use of public funds.

Is Council working on another ordinance to replace the one recently repealed that applies only to properties being sold? #

NO

When the city sewers off Michigan Avenue were upgraded, the company hired by the City of Maumee wanted homeowners to have the drainpipe connected directly to the sanitary sewer line, which is illegal. Who is responsible? #

1. If such action took place after the enactment of the Clean Water Act of 1972, then it was illegal.
2. However unfortunate, property owners are ultimately responsible for their clean water connections under the Clean Water Act.

Shouldn’t Fixing the SSO problem should be more important than any “Strong Town” #

activities? Should all available funds be dedicated to the addressing SSOs.

It also aids in educating public officials and residents alike as to how achieve infrastructure efficiency and sustainable economic development. Strong Towns is a movement rather than a cost center.

Dedicating all city funds solely to the sanitary sewer system is not a viable or responsible use of financial resources since the city has many other services it must provide such as police, fire, potable water supply, inspection, and street repair.

The Strong Towns initiative is the very movement that makes communities more efficient in the long run to provide those services.