Akron Promises to Clean Up Sewer Mess

AKRON (CN) - Akron agreed to overhaul its sewer system to settle state and federal charges of violating the Clean Water Act. The city's decrepit system dumped more than 1 billion gallons of untreated sewage into homes and into the Cuyahoga River, which flows into Lake Erie.

Akron promised to expand its wastewater treatment plant, build new sewer lines, and set up emergency response protocol to prevent sewer backups and overflows. It will pay a $500,000 fine and pay $900,000 to demolish a dam.

Initial upgrades of the sewer system will take six to eight years; the entire project won't be completed until 2028.

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