Now that all of North Royalton will be billed for the Northeast Regional Storm water Program, some residents may be looking to get a credit on their bill. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) will start to bill residents for the new program in mid-September, giving them just a little more time to seek credits for their bill.
All property owners will be billed, based on the total impervious surface of their property. That category is broken down into three tiers. Tier 1 is a surface of less than 2,000 square feet. Tier 2 is for a surface between 2,000 and 4,000 square feet. Tier 3 is for 4,000 square feet of impervious surface or more. Impervious surface includes rooftops, driveways, patios, decks, parking lots or anything that cannot absorb water, even swimming pools. Pervious surfaces are those that allow the infiltration or percolation of storm water through the surface into the soil below, removing the pollutants from the water. Pervious surfaces include paver blocks, grid pavers, pervious asphalt or pervious concrete.
For 2016, the fee for Tier 1 is $3.09 per month. For Tier 2, $5.15 per month; Tier 3 is $9.27 per month. The fee will be billed quarterly by NEORSD. Property owners may reduce their fees by implementing a reduction the amount of water runoff, they may qualify for a credit to lower their rate.
One way to learn about what credits might be suitable, residents can attend the upcoming NEORSD workshops, which have been scheduled at various locations around the Cleveland area. These free workshops require no reservation. They will include a brief presentation by NEORSD staff, who will then be available to answer questions and offer assistance with the credit applications. Information about rain gardens, rain barrels and other options and permitting requirements will be given.
The next workshop will take place on Saturday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek, 2277 West Ridgewood Drive in Parma. The next is planned Tuesday, August 23, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Happy Days Lodge at 500 West Streetsboro Street (Rt. 303) in Peninsula. There will be a workshop during the NEORSD annual open house scheduled for Saturday, September 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4747 E. 49th Street in Cuyahoga Heights. The final workshop will take place on Thursday, September 22, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mayfield Village Civic Center located at 6622 Wilson Mills Road.
Residents can also contact representatives from the NEORSD to answer questions and assist in applying for credit. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s customer service phone number for Storm water Utility is 216-881-8247. Residents can also call the North Royalton Team Leader at the NEORSD, Matt Scharver at 216-881-6600, extension 6880, or email him at scharverm@neorsd.org. Information can also be found online at http://neorsd.org/stormwaterprogram.php.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer