Pursuant to Mentor Ordinance 13-O-60 as enacted by City Council, the Mentor Sanitary Sewer Backup Reduction Grant Program has been established.

Eligible properties are those which have:

  1. Experienced a sanitary sewer backup on or after February 28, 2011 unrelated to a failure of the owner’s private system and sufficient proof of such event is provided (e.g., insurance claim, previous report to Lake County Department of Utilities, restoration costs or other clarifying information acceptable to the City); or
  2. Vertical separation between the lowest sanitary sewer connection and top of sanitary sewer is less than three feet at the point where the private service line is likely connected. The City of Mentor Engineering Department shall verify all elevations, and the City Engineer shall resolve any disputes; or
  3. A backwater valve device has already been installed between February 28, 2011 and August 9, 2013 (with supporting documentation) AND ALSO one of the two above eligibility requirements is met. In this case, the grant application shall be for reimbursement of eligible costs.

Eligible projects include the elimination of basement connections, the installation of backwater check valves, floor drain plugs, floor drain float plugs, or standpipes; conversion to overhead or high-wall plumbing; or other improvements approved by the City Engineer and Chief Building Official that will prevent sanitary sewage from entering the dwelling’s fixtures or sanitary drain connections to the public sanitary sewer system.

Download the Grant Application (below) which includes complete terms and conditions. Please submit your completed application with supporting documentation to the City of Mentor Engineering and Building Department, 8500 Civic Center Boulevard. After the work has been completed and paid for, deliver a copy of the contractor’s invoice that shows that the work has been paid for to the Engineering and Building Department. The paid invoice will determine the amount of reimbursement that will be returned to you.

A list of Registered Plumbers who can perform work within your structure is provided below, along with a link to those contractors that are licensed to work on sanitary sewers. The City will waive permit fees associated with the grant. In the event you wish to install a backwater prevention device on your private service line outside of your structure, you must get a permit from the Lake County Department of Utilities.

Please direct your questions regarding this Grant Program to the Engineering and Building Department at 440-974-5785 or building@cityofmentor.com.

Documentation