Serving the region, protecting our resource

Throughout 2014, we have been talking about our name change. Effective June 1, 2014, we became Avon Lake Regional Water. As part of this, we adopted the tagline, "Serving the region, protecting our resource." That tagline defines us so well, it is almost a mission statement. We exist to serve you, and we do this in many ways.

Since 1926, we have been providing drinking water to the citizens of Avon Lake; since 1953, we have been providing it to others as well. Similarly, we have been providing wastewater service to the citizens of Avon Lake since 1960, and to other jurisdictions since 1995. This regional service has helped each Avon Lake residence save an average of $450 per year on water and wastewater bills, compared to other cities of similar size.

We serve you 24/7. We answer our phones (440-933-6226) day and night to respond to emergencies. If you wake up at 3 a.m., find your basement filling up with water, and are not sure of the cause, call us; and we will come out to determine if it may be the result of a backup in the main line. Similarly, if you wake up at 3 a.m. and find you have no or low water pressure, call us so that we may determine if the issue relates to our system and begin working on resolving the problem.

But how else are we serving the region and protecting our resource? In 2013, we initiated the Water Warriors program at Troy Intermediate School, where we provide all Avon Lake’s fifth graders tours of our two treatment facilities, conduct water cleaning experiments, and use high-powered microscopes to let them to get up close and personal with the microorganisms we use to clean their wastewater—just like Mother Nature would.

This year, we are excited to be hosting the first annual Lake Erie WaterFest on Saturday, August 9, at Miller Road Park. The day will start off with a triathlon/aquathon and kids’ swim-and-run race. WaterFest itself, noon to 8 p.m., is geared toward families, but has something for everyone, including kayak, paddleboard and learn-to-fish clinics, a master sand castle builder, art, food vendors, and a variety of other kid-friendly activities—and, of course, a great Avon Lake sunset. Visit http://alwtr.us/WaterFest for more on the big day.

Have you visited our Facebook page lately? We encourage you to like our page so that you can receive updates on beach bacteria levels this summer, money-saving tips, and a variety of other water-related news. Similarly, if you live in the Moorewood area, please email us at updates@avonlakewater.org to sign up to receive email updates about the upcoming Moorewood-area combined sewer separation project.

Avon Lake Regional Water is your water and wastewater service provider. Questions/comments? Contact us via phone (440-933-6226), email (contact@avonlakewater.org), social media (Facebook and Twitter @avonlakewater), or in person (201 Miller Road). You can also learn more by watching our semi-monthly Board Recap Show on ALC-TV’s government channel (Time Warner 12 or WOW! 21) or logging on to avonlake.pegcentral.com to see recap shows or Board meetings.