“A Dynamic Affordability Approach – the Columbus Experience”

The City of Columbus, Ohio is under two consent orders from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) related to wet weather issues. These issues were addressed in 2005 through the development of a Wet Weather Management Plan that dealt with both Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) and Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO). A critical component of the plan was the affordability analysis. The City prepared an analysis that was multifaceted, specific to Columbus and dynamic to account for future economic and demographic conditions and project considerations. The analysis focused on a set of “Measures of Success” that were developed collaboratively with an advisory group. In 2007, the City prepared an update to the original analysis that showed that conditions had changed. This update illustrated the value of a dynamic approach to affordability that can inform the implementation of the regional wet weather management program.