Lead Service Line Replacement

In 2020, the City of Toledo received a 2-year, $200,000 Environmental Justice Cooperative Agreement Program (SEJCA) funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency to support the mapping of lead service lines so the City could identify and accelerate the pace of replacement of the lines. The City used this funding to refine its service line inventory, improve its lead service line mapping tools, and engage with community organizations to empower them with information and resources to reduce their potential exposure to lead. The City is also using the $10 million of Toledo Recovery Plan funding towards replacing customer lead service lines, alongside additional funding from the EPA. With additional funding of $50,000 from Ohio H2Ohio grant, the City will be able to extend service line inventory and mapping to Lucas County. This project ensures that there will be no risk of lead exposure to our community.

Trash Trappers

The City of Toledo is taking the lead on removing trash from waterways leading to Lake Erie by installing trash collection devices within the five-river mile area from Lake Erie. The devices will reduce the amount of trash flowing to Lake Erie and prevent hazardous debris and contaminants from entering recreational waters and the fisheries of the Maumee River and Lake Erie tributaries. Trash amounts and types will be gathered, sorted and categorized to assist in determining which land use areas contribute strongly to the problem and inform how to best educate the community to prevent it in the future.

This project was made possible by the City of Toledo receiving financial support in the amount of $413,970 from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and in partnership with TMACOG, Partners for Clean Your Steams, University of Toledo, and Keep Toledo-Lucas County Beautiful.

Community Garden Watering Program

The City of Toledo Community Garden Water program allows community members to apply to have a water hook up installed at a community garden, to create access to water. The goal of this program is to relieve part of the economic burden of establishing community gardens, in order to encourage more community gardens to be created. Community gardens provide a source of high-quality food to residents at low costs, and help improve mental and physical health. They also make productive use of vacant lots in the city. Funding for this program comes from the City of Toledo.

Clear Choices Clean Water (C3W)- Greater Toledo Lake Erie

Clear Choices Clean Water is an award-winning national program designed to increase awareness about the impact our daily choices have on our waterways. We encourage everyone to pledge to start or continue behaviors that improve water quality and water conservation. Residents can take an action pledge on issues that matter to them and they are able to see much pollution they prevented from entering our waterways. An accompanying impact map shows the combined positive impact we have on our waterways. The actions options include impacts that reduce stormwater runoff, planting native plants, use less fertilizer, pick up pet waste. This program is a partnership with TMACOG and regional municipalities.

Mapping Outfalls

The City of Toledo is partnering with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department to investigate all the points where surface runoff enters the waterways in our community. The goal is to be able to eliminate fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, sanitary waste and any other pollutants that affect water quality impacting aquatic wildlife. Mapping where there may be concerns, we hope to be able to do targeted public education and awareness efforts. The goal is also to evaluate these locations every five years.

Student Watershed Project

Working with TMACOG and local schools, the City of Toledo is providing opportunities for 500 students to participate in citizen science through water quality sampling so that they understand the impacts of land use, vegetative cover, stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows and pet waste on water quality. These students also get the opportunity to with researchers and learn about on opportunities in environmental fields.

Clean Your Streams

This annual event engages over 1,000 participants year-round in the removing over 15,000 pounds of garbage from waterways. Residents can participate as a group, in-person, under Toledo Litter League, and also by forming a Adopt A Street volunteer group. The flagship event for of this project is the annual Clean Your Stream event that occur every year in the fall.

Watershed Restoration Projects

The Division of Environmental Services has several ongoing improvement projects at Bandore Park, Delaware Creek, and Detwiler Park. These improvements will restore natural habitats, reduce erosion and runoff, and improve the water quality of several streams in the city. Ongoing projects focused on improving waterways in our community are made possible through funding from US EPA, Ohio EPA, Great Lakes Restoration Project, and Ohio Lake Erie Commission.

Toledo H2O

The City of Toledo developed a comprehensive plan for both short- and long-term improvements at the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant and other water facilities after conducting a thorough condition and treatment process assessment. This formal Ohio EPA-approved General Plan of Capital Improvements includes renovation of existing infrastructure, construction of new facilities and adding ozone technology at Collins Park as an additional treatment process. The General Plan includes approximately $500 million in upgrades that have been taking place since 2012 and will continue through mid-year 2023.

Toledo Waterways Initiative

The goal of the Toledo Waterways Initiative (TWI) is to clean our waterways and reduce sewage overflows through wastewater storage, sewer separation, and improved wastewater treatment. These solutions involve over 45 separate projects encompassing 48 square miles over the course of 18 years, at a total cost of $527 million.