Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney today used an open house at the Metro Sewage Treatment Facility to launch an aggressive public education campaign to remove 250 million gallons of rain water from the county’s sewer system. The “Save the Rain” campaign began in 2009 in an effort to lessen the overflow of sewage into Onondaga Creek...
Zack Voss, 7, of Camillus, gives water to a crayfish found in the tributaries of Onondaga Lake at an open house Saturday at the Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection at the Metro Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Facility. Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney used the open house to launch the "Save the Rain" campaign.Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney today used an open house at the Metro Sewage Treatment Facility to launch an aggressive public education campaign to remove 250 million gallons of rain water from the county’s sewer system.
The “Save the Rain” campaign began in 2009 in an effort to lessen the overflow of sewage into Onondaga Creek and Onondaga Lake.
The county recently hired a public relations firm for the campaign and billboards for the project are going up on Interstate 690 and in the city.
During times of heavy rain water runs off hard surfaces and into the sewage treatment system overwhelming it, Mahoney said.
Cutting the amount of water going into the system by 250 million gallons a year won’t happen unless everyone in the community begins to use green techniques, such as routing house gutters away from storm drains, she said.
“It’s a much more beautiful way to handle the rain than building sewage treatment plants in people’s neighborhoods,” Mahoney said.
Onondga County is under order by a federal judge to remove 250 million gallons of water a year from the sewer system by 2018, said Matthew Millea, deputy county executive for physical services.
Next year the county’s Save the Rain Team will work on more than 50 green infrastructure projects throughout the three sewer systems that discharge storm water into Onondaga Lake.
The projects include: a new $1.2 million "green" roof for the Oncenter that will be planted with plants that will save energy, reduce heating and cooling costs and capture 1 million gallons of rainfall annually. The 60,000 square-foot roof will be one of the largest green roofs in the North East.
A $2 million project to restore the natural wetlands at Harbor Brook to filter discharge.
An approximately $200,000 to $300,000 renovation of Dr. Edwin Weeks Elementary School to incorporate water retention facilities and swales along parking areas.
There are also proposals to install green roofs at the Hazard Library, the Erie Canal Museum and the Post Office on Teall Avenue.