Important facts about stormwater

The number one source of today's water pollution stems from stormwater which leads to combined sewer overflows and urban runoff.  As a result, water quality is lowered, threatening human health and endangering the vitality of our ecosystems.  The two sections below illustrate how this affects us locally.  Directly below are a number of links containing important information which explain the threat of stormwater and outline a number of things that you can do to help.  You will also find links to several local projects.

The Problem With Stormwater

"After the storm"

Stormwater fact sheet

10 Things you can do to help

Managing stormwater:  Video topics

International BMP database

Green design

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Green roofs

Porous concrete

Local Storm Water BMP Projects

Stormwater BMP Park

Heritage Park

TANK's Park & Rides

Protect the Ohio - Vote No, ORSANCO!

ORSANCO's proposal to lower water quality standards permits more sewage in the Ohio River. It's bad for public health, the economy, and the river.

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO); the interstate compact designed to protect the Ohio River, had planned to lower Water Quality Standards in June 2006.  This would have meant more raw sewage polluting our local rivers, lakes and streams.  Due to over 8,000 adversary public comments generated by Sierra Club and other river organizations located throughout the Ohio basin, ORSANCO has decided to postpone their decision until next October.

The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) is bound to honor a  $2 billion Consent Decree designed to eliminate the vast amounts of sewage overflows currently polluting our local waterway by the year 2029.  The Consent Decree was settled upon in Federal Court after the US EPA, OEPA and the Department of Justice sued MSD for violating the Clean Water Act, in 2003. 

Hamilton County is not alone in their struggle against sewage overflows.  In fact, many communities along the Ohio River are in similar situations.  Some believe that If current water quality standards are not expected to be met, those standards should be lowered in order to comply with federal law. 

Presently, ORSANCO is in the process of reviewing public comment concerning the revised Water Quality Standards which they may decide to vote on in October.  In August, world-famous athlete, author and activist Lynne Cox flew from California to Cicinnati to swim across the Ohio river, standing up for clean water in the Ohio River.

In the News

Published Letters

"River users could face water quality changes"

"Activists oppose pollution changes"

"Hearing weighs changing river pollution guides"

"Cox brave in dirty world"

"Swimmer crosses the Ohio to protest pollution"

"Swimmer's mission:  Clean river"

"It's not the heat, it's the heckling"

A message from Lynne Cox

Additional Information

(Additional information can be found at www.sierraclub.org/orsanco)

MSD ranks as the Nation's second worst polluter

 Sierra Club Takes on the Metropolitan Sewer District

On February 27, 2003 (under section 505 of the Federal Clean Water Act) Sierra Club filed a citizen's lawsuit against the Hamilton County Commissioners and the City of Cincinnati, who jointly own and operate the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD). After a legally required sixty-day notice of intent to sue was issued in December, the U.S. EPA, the Ohio EPA and the Department of Justice issued an “Interim Partial Consent Decree on Sanitary Sewer Overflows”.

The Sierra Club’s legal position was that the agreement was not a diligent prosecution of MSD, which has been in violation of the Clean Water Act for over thirty years by allowing sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) to spew raw sewage into local steams and rivers. The primary waterways affected are the Little Miami River, the Great Miami River, and the Mill Creek. These in turn empty into the Ohio River.

The Story Continues

MSD currently admits to 85 SSO sites and 215 CSOs.  Many of these erupt repeatedly throughout the year, totaling over 14 billion gallons of raw sewage which pollute local waterways annually. The worst offender, SSO 700, reportedly spews enough sewage in a year to fill Sunlight Pool at Coney Island 20 times.

Two months after the plan was promised to Sierra Club, MSD began to submit the 24 volume LTCP in fragments.  Both the public and Sierra Club were given roughly a month to review the plan and submit comments.  As anticipated, the plan is problematic for a number of reasons.  Most concerning, is the mismatched prioritization of projects, gaps in data and the fact that the plan has been drafted with the assumption that ORSANCO will adopt lowered water quality standards.

On June 31, 2006 the LTCP will be submitted to EPA for a 180-day review and approval process.  Sierra Club will continue to submit comments, providerecommendations, and advocate alternatives.

Additional Information

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

For more information or to inform us of a problem with sewage backups or sewage overflows in your home or environment please contact Christine Robertson at (513) 861-4001 ext. 17