The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) will hold a virtual public meeting to answer questions about a proposed clean water plan.
The public meeting on the plan is free and set for 1 p.m Wednesday, Jul. 1. Those interested can register to attend here and read the full plan here.
If the proposed clean water plan is approved, it would serve as a 20-year roadmap for wastewater management and water quality across five counties, reported Cleveland & Ohio News.
Clean Water 2020 is an update to the agency’s current wastewater management and water quality plan, which was released in 2000. This is part of the state’s larger water quality management plan.
The proposal must be approved by the NOACA board of directors, the U.S. EPA and certified by Gov. Mike DeWine before taking effect. The public can comment on the proposed plan through Jul. 20 here.
The proposal aims to: maintain water quality improvements; protect and restore water; and help manage storm water runoff and sewage treatment systems across Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties.
The plan suggests focusing on making improvements to existing infrastructure and discouraging new development on virgin land, according to Cleveland & Ohio News. It also addresses problems like toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie.
“Phosphorus and algal blooms increase risks to human health and water quality; result in unstable fish communities; degrade habitats and disruptions in the food web; contaminate beaches and lead to closures,” the plan reads.
The plan aims to support watershed planning that addresses runoff pollution as well, added Cleveland & Ohio News.