The Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant (RRWWTP) was constructed in 1904.  At the time, it only provided primary treatment functionality.  Primary treatment refers to various filtration and sedimentation processes that remove small, particulate matter, such as twigs, sand, or ash, from wastewater.  68 years after the plant’s construction, Congress passed the Clean Water Act which required municipal plants to meet standards for secondary treatment.  Secondary treatment utilizes bacteria to remove organic material from waters.  After the bacteria have finished, treatment specialists apply small quantities of chlorine to remove any pathogens or strong odors from the water.  In 1982, local authorities, who purchased RRWWTP from Cuyahoga County that same year, began construction on a major expansion that would allow the plant to meet new federal standards for secondary treatment.  At the turn of the century, in 1999, the plant received another major upgrade, this time substantially improving its capacity for primary treatment.

Despite the fact that the City of Rocky River houses RRWWTP and pays its administrative costs, the wastewater treatment plant currently serves four Westshore cities: Rocky River, Bay Village, Fairview Park, and Westlake.  These four municipalities established their plan for collective, cost-efficient water purification in 1982, the same year they acquired the plant from the county and introduced secondary treatment infrastructure.  As part of the new plan, the mayor of each partner city received a seat on the plant’s management committee.  While serving in this capacity, the mayors work without compensation. Committee members, staffers, and other administrators work tirelessly to ensure that RRWWTP stays up to date with the guidelines set out by both the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).