Cleveland advances major water infrastructure package to combat aging assets and main break surge

Cleveland advances major water infrastructure package to combat aging assets and main break surgeThe Utilities Committee has established critical funding limits for the Pleasant Valley pump station replacement, a five-year transmission main renewal program, and augmented repair contracts after the network experienced up to 30 main breaks per day.

The committee approved a 'not to exceed' $20 million budget to replace the 1950s-era Pleasant Valley Road pump station and its inefficient 5-million-gallon underground reservoir.

A transmission main renewal and corrosion control program for 2027–2031 was authorized with a cap of $25 million to address deteriorating steel pipes.

Requirement contracts for water main and hydrant repairs were amended to $30 million per year to help city crews manage extreme weather events.

The city will also enter into a direct-award contract with Hach Company to maintain critical water testing equipment required for Ohio EPA compliance.

The Cleveland City Council's Utilities Committee has advanced a multi-million-dollar slate of water infrastructure ordinances, targeting aging pump stations, corroding transmission mains, and a sharp increase in seasonal main breaks across the 10th largest water system in the United States. During a June 25, 2026 meeting, the committee addressed the pressing need to modernize the city's water distribution network, which comprises 5,400 miles of water mains, 70,000 hydrants, and 440,000 service connections. A centerpiece of the approvals is the reconstruction of the Pleasant Valley Road Pump Station in Parma. Originally constructed in the 1950s, the facility provides 16 million gallons per day of capacity to the Third High Service District, serving multiple suburban communities. The Director of Public Utilities noted that the facility's existing 5-million-gallon underground concrete reservoir has reached the end of its useful life and requires excessive energy to pump water up to grade. The city plans to demolish the underground structure and build a new pump station and above-ground tank. While initially estimated at $15 million, the committee amended the ordinance to cap the project cost at $20 million to account for volatile market pricing for ductile iron, pumps, and large valves. Funding is expected to come from a mix of existing capital, municipal bonds, and grants from the Ohio Water Development Authority. The committee also approved the next phase of the city's Transmission Water Main Renewal and Corrosion Prevention and Control Program, covering 2027 through 2031. The program targets the deterioration of large steel trunk mains, utilizing mitigation techniques such as cathodic protection, specialized coatings, lining, and full replacement. The committee amended the ordinance to set a 'not to exceed' limit of $25 million for the five-year period. Operational strain was a major theme of the meeting, particularly regarding recent extreme weather. The Director of Public Utilities reported that during a recent "brutal winter," the Cleveland Water Department experienced an average of 30 main breaks per day—six times the historical system-wide average of five per day. To manage this volume, the committee approved requirement contracts to augment city staff with outside contractors for emergency repairs, pavement restoration, and tree lawn mitigation. The committee amended the funding limit for these contracts to $30 million per year. Finally, to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance, the committee approved a direct-award contract with Hach Company for laboratory equipment, calibration, and preventative maintenance. The director emphasized that this equipment is used to run hundreds of daily tests required by the Ohio and U.S. EPA, noting that any malfunction in the testing instrumentation must be repaired within three days to avoid a notice of violation.