What do horse riding and leading a utility have in common? Sewer District CEO Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells shares her top projects of 2024, the Cleveland bonds that fuel her enthusiasm, and insights that will resonate with leaders from all walks of life.

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District manages both wastewater and stormwater systems and plays a crucial role in restoring local waterways. We delve into the challenges of urban water infrastructure, the importance of partnerships, and the delicate balance needed to address environmental and community concerns. Looking to 2025, we consider the crucial role of leadership at the US EPA and Department of Energy, greenhouse gas and "forever chemicals," and the power of mindful communication in building community.

Acronyms used in this episode:

CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. The Act provides for liability, compensation, cleanup, and emergency response for hazardous substances released into the environment and the cleanup of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites.

PFAS - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a synthetic chemical that's part of PFAS chemicals.

Cutting-edge modeling techniques are being developed in an exciting collaboration between the NEORSD and Massachusetts Institute of Technology that focuses on pluvial flooding, promising a more nuanced view of water flow across urban landscapes.

This "rain on mesh" approach divides an urban topography into small, data-rich segments, unveiling a new level of detail in analyzing surface runoff, infiltration, and evaporation.

We explore the strategic use of various models, from the importance of selecting appropriate tools for specific tasks to the potential for these solutions to be adopted by other cities.

Mayor Annette Blackwell of Maple Heights and Keith McClintock, NEORSD Manager of Watershed Funding Programs discuss the transformative impacts of infrastructure funding in local communities. Securing grants and loans have paved the way for municipal growth and enhanced quality of life for Maple Heights residents, and the Sewer District's Member Community Infrastructure Program (MCIP) can help communities address aging sewer systems and stormwater management.

Learn more about the MCIP here