Budgets
Overview
MSD needs to balance its budget, just like everyone else. We begin this process every summer and complete it by November or December for the coming year.
We have two budgets:
- Operating Budget - funding needed to support MSD's operation of more than 3,000 miles of public sewers and interceptors, 100 pump stations, 9 wastewater treatment plants, 9 wet weather facilities, and the Lick Run Greenway in South Fairmount. The Operating budget includes personnel costs and non-personnel costs such as equipment and tools, chemicals, fuel, electricity, natural gas, and fleet vehicles. It also includes debt service, which is the repayment of debt (principal and interest payments) on bonds and loans used to fund Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. Our Operating budget is funded through customer sewer bills.
- Capital Budget - funding for capital items like new sewers, upgrades to treatment plants, and other assets. The budget also includes wet weather projects mandated by our Wet Weather Program to reduce sewer overflows into local streams and rivers. Our capital budget is funded through bonds, low-interest loans through the Ohio Water Development Authority, and cash.
The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) is responsible for approving MSD's budgets and setting rates. As part of the process, MSD typically proposes budgets to the BoCC in August followed by meetings over the next several months to finetune the proposals. The BoCC hosts a public hearing(s) in November or December prior to final approval of the budgets.
2025 Approved Operating Budget
The BoCC approved a 2025 MSD Operating Budget of $240.9 million on December 12, 2024.
The budget includes:
- $66.6 million for personnel
- $73.2 million for non-personnel (e.g., chemicals, equipment)
- $6.8 million for General Fund Overhead (GFOH), fleet vehicles, and Office Technology Equipment Allowance (OTEA)
- $8.2 million for the Sewer Backup (SBU) Program (non-personnel)
- $85.2 million for debt payment
2025 Approved Capital Budget
The BoCC approved a 2025 MSD Capital Budget of $529.7 million on December 12, 2024.
The budget includes:
- $7.4 million for planning, design, and easement acquisitions for six projects, including the Winton Lake Aerial Sewer Structure and Weir Modifications in Springfield Township and the Little Miami WWTP High-Rate Treatment Facility Preparation in Columbia-Tusculum/East End
- $446.7 million for construction of five projects, including two major ones in Queensgate: the East Branch Ohio River Interceptor Extension and the Mill Creek High-Rate Treatment (HRT) Pump Station
- $75.6 million for various allowances (e.g., Critical Asset Management, Main Sewer Renewal Program), MSD labor, programmatic contingency, and Hamilton County oversight
2025 Approved Sewer Rate Increase
The BoCC approved a 3.75% sewer rate increase to the minimum base charge, commodity charge, and industrial pretreatment charge that goes into effect on January 1, 2025. Surcharge rates are not being increased in 2025.
This rate increase will cost the average single-family residential household1 an additional $2.00 a month, bringing their average monthly sewer bill to about $56.00. The increase is needed to cover the higher costs of treating wastewater and to meet MSD's capital needs for sewer infrastructure.
MSD offers a sewer rate discount to low-income seniors who own their own homes. Learn more
Interested in how your sewer bill is calculated? Learn more
1An average single-family residential household has a 5/8" water meter and uses about 5 CCF of water per month. 1 CCF (centum cubic feet) = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons of water.