Akron Waterways Renewed! program is a City of Akron initiative to control Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) and update the City's sewer infrastructure. The management of the CSOs, coupled with the updates to the existing sewer infrastructure in Akron, will help the City meet current EPA mandates, as dictated by the Federal Consent Decree, which was issued to the City in 2009.
Since 1987, the City of Akron has invested more than $450 million into Akron’s sewer infrastructure, including millions of dollars on engineering studies of the sewer system and the receiving streams to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This includes upgrades to Akron’s wastewater treatment plan.
The City of Akron submitted an Integrated Plan to the EPA in August of 2015. The Integrated Plan is intended to optimize and prioritize the projects that need to be completed to meet the City's CWA obligations, provide an earlier water quality benefit than provided for in the current Federal Consent Decree, and reduce the need for future rate increases. In the meantime, the City will continue to meet milestones mandated in the Federal Consent Decree.