Sewer Overflows

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, provide recommendations, and advocate alternatives.

In the News

Published letters

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 us at (513) 861-4001.