Progress
MSD is working to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into our local rivers and streams, eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and address sewer backups into homes and businesses.
To date, MSD has reduced CSOs by about 8.1 billion gallons annually (from 14 billion to 5.9 billion gallons a year during a typical year of rain) and made significant improvements in eliminating SSOs. MSD has operated a Sewer Backup (SBU) Program since 20024 to help customers mitigate the impacts of sewer backups caused by the public sewer.
We completed our first phase (Phase 1) of wet weather projects in January 2020, finished a series of wet weather projects known as the Bridge Plan in summer 2024, and completed Phase 2A at the end of 2024. Hamilton County is currently negotiating with the U.S. EPA on Phase 2B, our next set of wet weather projects.
Please see the information below, which includes an overview of progress to date, Consent Decree reports, and several dashboards.
CONSENT DECREE REPORTS
For detailed information on MSD's Wet Weather Program, including budget, schedule, performance metrics, potential project risks, etc., please view or download the reports below:
Consent Decree Quarterly Reports (select a report from the list below). Please see the appendices for specific information about Phase 1, the Bridge, and Phase 2A.
Consent Decree Annual Reports (select a report from the list below):
Other Reports and Plans (select a report from the list below):
CURRENT STATUS OF MSD CAPITAL PROJECTS
This database is a list of active MSD capital projects in planning, design, construction, final acceptance, or closeout under our Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This database is updated monthly.
You can sort (ascending/descending) each column of the database by clicking the small triangle underneath each header.
OVERVIEW OF PROGRESS ON WET WEATHER PROGRAM
SBU Program
The SBU program offers 24/7 reporting of sewer backups, investigation of sewer backups to determine whether they were caused by the MSD public sewer, cleaning services for eligible properties, reimbursement of damages for eligible properties, and protection from future sewer backups for eligible properties.
MSD issues a monthly program report that provides information on the number of sewer backup reports received each month, the number of properties served by the program, and dollars spent.
VIEW SBU PROGRAM REPORT (UPDATED MONTHLY)
Phase 1 (2009 - 2020)
Phase 1, which began in 2009 and was substantially completed in January 2020, included 133 wet weather projects ranging from sewer replacements and sewer separations to pump station eliminations and treatment plant upgrades.
Of those projects, 20 were focused on the lower reaches of the Mill Creek where a disproportionate number of CSO outfalls are located, including CSO 5, then the largest volume overflow point in MSD’s service area. The most recognized project, the Lick Run Greenway in South Fairmount, looks like an urban park with a surface stream but significantly reduces overflows from CSO 5.
In total, Phase 1 has eliminated nearly 8 billion gallons annually of sewer overflows from across MSD's service area.
Phase 1 was completed at a cost of about $961 million (in 2006 dollars) and $1.08 billion in 2024 dollars. As the estimated cost of Phase 1 was $1.14 billion (in 2006 dollars), this phase came in under budget.
LIST OF PHASE 1 PROJECTS AND COST SUMMARY (INDICES 1-119)
Bridge Plan (2018 - 2024)
The Bridge Plan, an interim phase between Phase 1 and Phase 2A, began in 2018 and was substantially completed in 2024. The Bridge Plan included 26 wet weather projects ranging from CSO eliminations and sewer separations to improvements to the SSO 700 high-rate treatment facility and pump station upgrades.
Information about the Bridge Plan can be found in the Consent Decree Quarterly Reports (found on this page) under Appendix A (Bridge).
Phase 2A (2023 - 2024)
Phase 2A began in 2023 and was substantially completed in 2024. Phase 2A included the construction of three projects: the Mill Creek WWTP Diversion Chamber, CSO 402-406 Regulator Improvements, and the Little Miami WWTP Standby Power project. It also included design of two projects: a new influent pump station at the Mill Creek WWTP to serve a future High-Rate Treatment (HRT) facility and planning for improvements to the East Branch Muddy Creek Interceptor and associated pump stations.
Information about Phase 2A can be found in the Consent Decree Quarterly Reports (found on this page) under Appendix A (Phase 2A).
Phase 2B
This phase is currently being negotiated with the U.S. EPA and other regulators.
OVERFLOW DASHBOARDS
Validated Overflow Occurrences (Discharges)
MSD reviews hundreds of monitored overflow points to confirm actual overflow occurrences at each outfall. This database shows dates of occurrences of validated CSOs, SSOs, Pump Station Overflows (PSOs), and Non-Enumerated Overflows (NEOs) since 2010. The database also includes calculated volumes for CSO discharges. MSD does not calculate volumes for SSOs, PSOs, or NEOs, so only occurrence dates are reported.
Click on a specific outfall to learn more or adjust the date range to narrow your search.
CSO Volumes
MSD reports all discharges from CSOs in its monthly Discharge Monitoring Reports submitted to the Ohio EPA. Since November 2023, MSD has used advanced data analysis tools to measure and categorize daily overflow volumes when the sewer system is under various conditions, such as: dry weather, wet weather, and flooded conditions.
Use the data filters to find information on specific CSOs.
Map Legend:
- WW OF: Wet Weather overflow volume reported within 24 hours of recorded rainfall in the contributing sewershed.
- DW OF: Dry Weather overflow volume reported with no recorded rainfall in the contributing sewershed.
- FL OF:Flooded overflow volume reported when local creek or river level is elevated and influencing the combined sewer system.
- AVAILABLE (%): Percentage of time that remote monitoring equipment was in service and reporting.
Note:
Overflow volumes for CSOs 005, 125, 482, and 487, which are located at real-time CSO control facilities, are not included in this dashboard. MSD is working to integrate them by early 2025. Their volumes are currently available in the Overflow Occurrences dashboard above; however, the total calculated overflow volume for each CSO event is divided equally over each day the event occurred.