msdgc.org

The Value of Your Investment

Question:
Didn't I see somewhere that the etimated cost of the Wet Weather Program was originally much lower?

Answer:
Because the cost of the Wet Weather Program depended entirely on the projects selected, an estimated program cost was not known until very recently. You are likely thinking of the $1.5 billion benchmark that was used to determine the implementation timeline of the program.

Under the terms of the Consent Decrees, MSD is required to implement the Wet Weather Program by February 2022, unless the estimated cost exceeds $1.5 billion. Since the estimated cost does exceed the $1.5 billion mark, we will request additional time to complete the necessary projects.

We are working with federal and state agencies to establish a new program completion date; however, we still expect to complete a significant amount of the program's core projects by 2022.

Clough Creek, near Newtown Road in southeast Hamilton County To implement the Wet Weather Program in its entirety, our community must make one of the largest public works investments in our history. At a projected cost of approximately $1.99 billion*, this investment can’t and won’t be made all at once. Instead, it will be spread across the life of the program.

Our program estimate encompasses all costs related to implementing approximately 380 individual projects throughout our entire service area, which spans across most of Hamilton County. Together, these projects will protect public health and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods — many of which are suffering from the sight and smell of raw sewage. More specifically, these projects will:

Prevent raw sewage from backing up into streets and homes
Eliminate all sanitary sewer overflows in a typical year
Reduce and control combined sewer overflows
Reduce sewage odors in area rivers and streams
Prevent toilet paper, sanitary waste and other unsightly materials from being released into the environment
Help make streams safer and more pleasant after heavy rains

* The estimated program cost is measured using 2006 dollars. This estimate does not account for any inflation that may be experienced over the life of the program.