Plan approved to reduce sewage in Ohio waterways

CLEVELAND (AP) — A plan to dramatically reduce untreated sewage into Lake Erie and waterways near Cleveland has been approved by a federal judge.

Thursday's ruling allows the regional sewer district to move forward on a deal reached in December with the federal government. The agency must spend about $3 billion on pollution controls and pay $1.2 million to the U.S. and Ohio EPAs for past clean-water violations.

The Plain Dealer newspaper of Cleveland reports the plan requires building tunnels to reduce untreated sewage discharges from the current level of about 4.5 billion gallons a year to less than 500,000 gallons annually by 2036.

The district serving Cleveland and some five dozen nearby communities also will invest $42 million in green infrastructure projects to help keep storm water out of sewer systems.