In accordance with Lakewood’s Integrated Wet Weather Improvement Plan (IWWIP), the City performs water and sewer infrastructure upgrades each year. These projects may include water main replacements, sewer separations and replacements, and water service line replacements.
A primary goal of these projects is to address the city’s drinking water distribution system. Many of the existing water mains are over 100 years old and show wear or corrosion, reducing their effectiveness. Replacing these mains with modern materials ensures a reliable supply of clean drinking water and significantly improves water pressure for fire hydrants, addressing a potential safety hazard. This process involves trenching the street and ensuring the new distribution system meets modern flow demands.
To protect the Rocky River and Lake Erie, the city modernizes its “over/under” sewer systems to prevent the co-mingling of waste and stormwater. This involves two primary methods: lining and separation. Sanitary mains are reinforced using a cured-in-place liner to seal joints and prevent leaks. In areas where the systems are still combined, the city installs separate manholes and pipes to ensure that sanitary sewage is sent to the treatment plant while clean rainwater is directed safely to local waterways. This work also includes replacing laterals and installing new cleanouts to provide better access for future maintenance.
In coordination with main replacement, the city identifies and replaces outdated service lines that connect the street main to individual properties. Specifically, any lead or galvanized service lines—both on public and private property—are replaced with modern copper piping at no direct cost to the property owner.
This interactive map shows the total planned infrastructure projects in Lakewood for the current year. The map is updated on our website every spring (around April or May) once contracts have been completed.
