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Over the past several months there have been ongoing discussions regarding wastewater from certain neighborhoods in District 17 being treated by the Oldham County Environmental Authority (OCEA). For various reasons, the cost of the service provided by OCEA is higher than customers with similar usage draining to Louisville MSD. Wastewater from these neighborhoods flows into Oldham County instead of MSD facilities because of the infrastructure (or lack thereof) that was in place when these developments were built. There was no pipe network in the area at the time to allow for service by an MSD treatment facility. However, Oldham County was able to serve these homes through its Ash Avenue Plant.
MSD and Oldham County have agreed to evaluate regional solutions for the OCEA system, including the areas draining to the Ash Avenue Treatment Plant. This is attractive to all parties because of potential efficiencies of operations, economies of scale, and the potential to provide rate relief to OCEA customers – including those in Jefferson County. Both sides are well aware of the concerns from residents in these neighborhoods and are pushing to get this evaluation performed for the residents in both counties. The Ash Avenue plant has been slated for elimination, and this partnership would allow for innovative solutions and potential cost savings that could also translate to customer rates.
The details are currently being explored, but there is momentum from the leadership of Oldham County and Louisville MSD to find ways to resolve these issues. It is expected that tangible steps forward will be known in the next few months.
Are you interested in what developments are being proposed for the district and where they might be in the process? Do you ever wonder if there are ongoing land use requests that might affect your neighborhood? If so, visit Councilman Winkler's web page at www.louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council-district-17 and click on the link for the "Planning Weekly Activity Report" for the latest information. You will find the project name and address, the case manager for the proposal, and a short description of the project. More detailed information is available through a link offered for each case.
Recruit some of your friends and neighbors to make a difference in our community this spring by signing up for Brightside's community-wide cleanup scheduled for Saturday, April 13. Online registration opens today at www.brightsideinc.org. All teams will receive bags and gloves at no cost. The first 5,000 volunteers to register will also receive a free t-shirt, so sign up soon!
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