Oh Crap! Dealing With Sewer Upgrades Is a Complicated Mess

Oh Crap! Dealing With Sewer Upgrades Is a Complicated Mess

Author: Strong Towns July 29, 2024 Duration: 58:08
Maumee, Ohio, winner of the 2024 Strongest Town Contest, is facing a big sewer infrastructure challenge. It needs to update its sewer system to comply with EPA regulations — an extremely large, expensive project. To handle this problem, the city is requiring residents who want to sell their homes to pay for the needed updates to their sewage systems, which is generating backlash from residents. In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck explains the history of sewer infrastructure, how the Clean Water Act affects cities and the very limited options that cities have to handle this kind of challenge. He also points out that the Strongest Town Contest is about celebrating cities that are working hard to improve, rather than finding cities that are perfect. Just because Maumee is facing this challenge does not mean that it’s a failure — and it’s not alone in this struggle, either. All cities are either facing this challenge, too, or will be facing it in the near future. That’s the consequence of decades of unproductive growth. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X). Become a member.

Each week, Charles Marohn guides a discussion that feels less like a formal lecture and more like a thoughtful chat with a knowledgeable neighbor. The Strong Towns Podcast digs into the practical, often overlooked details that determine whether a community thrives or just struggles along. The conversations here consistently connect the dots between sensible budgeting and the physical shape of our streets, parks, and neighborhoods, arguing that true resilience comes from this intersection. You’ll hear specific examples of how towns and cities can make incremental, affordable investments that build long-term wealth and stability, moving beyond short-term fixes. Rather than offering abstract theory, this podcast focuses on actionable ideas for local leaders and engaged citizens alike, exploring how everyday decisions about infrastructure and land use directly impact a place's financial health. It’s a grounded perspective on creating communities that are not only more solvent but also more welcoming and livable. The ongoing dialogue reinforces the core idea that a strong town is built from the bottom up, one block at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Strong Towns Podcast
Podcast Episodes
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This is the second episode in the Strong Towns Podcast's special Member Drive series. Every day, Chuck is reading one of his best articles that you might’ve missed. Today, he’s reading “One Billion Bollards,” which discu…
Member Drive Week Special: The Cost of an Extra Foot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In honor of Member Drive, the Strong Towns Podcast is publishing five episodes this week. Every day, Chuck will read one of his best articles that you might’ve missed. Today, he’s reading “The Cost of an Extra Foot,” whi…
The Strong Towns Tension With YIMBYism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:31
The Strong Towns approach to housing has some obvious tensions with NIMBYism, but what about YIMBYism? That’s the topic for discussion on the table for today’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, because while our appro…