Sanitation District No. 1 starting to break ground this week on the first phase of a stormwater and wastewater project along Waterworks Road in Ft. Thomas to alleviate flooding and eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
During heavy rainfall, the storm sewer system in the area can become overwhelmed by excess stormwater, resulting in flooding between Taylor Avenue and Memorial Parkway.
At a cost of just over $3 million, Phase I of the project includes increasing the size of stormwater and wastewater pipes starting near the intersection of Waterworks Road and Memorial Parkway, proceeding down Waterworks Road to the Ft. Thomas/Newport city line near London Acres Drive. The work will be completed by Smith & Brown Contractors, Inc., of Harrison, Ohio, and is expected to continue through fall 2021.
Later phases of the project will include installation of a Taylor Creek Equalization (EQ) Tank to eliminate sewer overflows in the city as part of SD1’s Clean H2O40 program to meet sewer overflow mitigation requirements under an amended federal consent decree.
The Waterworks Road project is SD1’s highest priority sanitary sewer project because it eliminates SSOs near the Northern Kentucky Water District’s reservoir, allows for cost savings through coordination with a necessary stormwater project in the area, and addresses failing infrastructure needs.
Under the terms of its amended consent decree with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the US Environmental Protection Agency, SD1 must completely eliminate all typical-year SSOs by the year 2040. The system experiences about 115 million gallons of SSOs in a typical year. The agreement also requires SD1 to recapture at least 85 percent of CSOs by 2040.
During construction, vehicle and foot traffic on Waterworks Road may be restricted. Detour signs will be posted. By combining a sanitary sewer project and stormwater project, SD1 is also making every effort to minimize disturbances to surrounding homes, businesses and motorists.
Sanitation District No. 1
