A Deep Rock Cavern Captures Stormwater

Abstract

In many sewer systems in the northeast and midwestern U.S., stormwater and sewage flows are collected together and then delivered for treatment in a single piping system, which means treatment flows can increase substantially during storm events. Annually, over 9 billion gallons of combined stormwater and sewage were discharged to Lake Erie in the 1970s. The volume was cut in half through the construction of new water treatment plants and improvements to the existing ones. Untreated sewage discharged to the lake continues to be a major contributing factor to the water quality issues, such as algae blooms.