Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD)
Definition
A special-purpose government agency that provides wastewater treatment and stormwater management for Louisville Metro and surrounding areas. MSD operates independently from Louisville Metro Government with its own budget funded through sewer fees, not property taxes. The agency manages the community’s sanitary sewers and is under federal consent decree to reduce combined sewer overflows.
Louisville Context
MSD rates have increased significantly over the past decade to fund court-mandated infrastructure improvements. MSD’s Waterway Protection Tunnel—a massive underground storage system—is a roughly four-mile underground tunnel, about 18 stories deep, designed to capture overflow from 25 combined sewer overflow points during heavy rains (MSD, August 2018).
Why It Matters
Your sewer bill is separate from your water bill and property taxes, but MSD’s infrastructure investments directly affect your rates. Understanding how MSD works helps you evaluate why sewer rates increase and whether these investments prevent sewage from flowing into the Ohio River during storms.
My Proposal
I will advocate for MSD to accelerate green infrastructure investments (rain gardens, permeable pavement) that reduce overflow at lower cost than tunnels alone. I’ll push for MSD to expand its low-income assistance program and increase transparency about rate-setting.