Upper Arlington will enter the halfway point of a 12-year project to enhance the city's sewer system, reducing backups in residents' basements and discharges into local waterways.

Since 2017, the city – through its Sustainable Sewer Solutions project – has fixed 32,600 feet of sanitary sewer lines, 434 lateral sewer lines and 200 manholes.

This year, the city is expected to repair more than 5,000 feet of sanitary lines as part of the its commitment to upgrade 62,342 feet of sanitary lines and 1,054 lateral lines by 2028.

This year's project will be backed by $703,280 in Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) funds, as well as approximately $1.4 million in city money.

Upper Arlington's project primarily focuses on lining existing sewer pipelines to keep rainwater from leaking into those lines that can result in sewage backups into residential basements or overflows into local waterways.