Cleveland Heights Plan Control Measures

Six Control Measures

The six control measures listed are components of the Storm Water Management Program that serve as the foundation for the entire Cleveland Heights Storm Water Management Plan:

Public Education and Outreach

Because our citizens are our most active line of vigilance, this control measure educates the public on the goals of the Storm Water Program and why it is necessary.

Public Participation and Involvement

Public participation is encouraged through literature distribution, FOCUS Magazine articles, this website, community meetings and classroom education. 

Residents are asked to advise us of unusual events such as:

  •     Dislodged Manhole and Catch Basin Covers
  •     Illegal Dumping
  •     Odors in Creeks
  •     Water Coming Out of Manholes
  •     Water on the Street During Dry Weather

Illegal Discharge Detection and Elimination

It is the responsibility of the City of Cleveland Heights to detect sanitary discharges into storm water systems. Once an illegal discharge is detected, it must be corrected. In some cases, the property owner may have to make the correction. 

Eliminating sanitary discharges into storm waters is the most significant way that we can clean up our waterways. All culverts, streams and creeks must be inspected and all outfalls catalogued and evaluated for dry weather discharges. 

In addition, a comprehensive map is being made that identifies all outfalls by size, pipe material type and dry weather discharges, if any. Any dry weather discharges must be sampled for sanitary content, and, if positive, be traced back to the point of origin.

Construction Site Runoff Control

The City must insure that any new construction sites that are one acre or larger have adequate safeguards to prevent debris and other unwanted material from gaining access to waterways.

Post-Construction Site Runoff Control

Under the same guidelines as control measure number four, when the construction is completed, drainage protection must not be compromised.

Best Management Practices

Best management practices include many different areas involving preventative maintenance, capital improvements and response to citizen concerns. Some of these areas include:

  • Catch Basin Cleaning
  • Employee Training
  • Hazardous Materials Management
  • Landscaping and Lawn Care
  • Leaf Disposal
  • Parking Lot Cleaning
  • Pet Waste Management
  • Ravine and Stream Cleaning
  • Road Salting
  • Roadside Ditch Cleaning
  • Sewer Cleanings
  • Street Sweeping
  • Vehicle Maintenance

Effective best management practices in combination can help reduce the potential amount of pollutants that might escape into the waterways. Cleveland Heights has been doing many of the above best management practices for many years.