The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) has launched a major capital improvement project to enhance wastewater treatment in Bullitt County that will reduce hazardous sewer overflows, address odor concerns and improve service for area residents.
The $10.2 million investment in Bullitt County infrastructure includes decommissioning two wastewater treatment plants underequipped for the growing community, replacing them with a new pump station and sewer lines to redirect wastewater to MSD’s Derek R. Guthrie Water Quality Treatment Center in southwest Jefferson County.
“Waterways don’t stop at city or county lines, and neither should our approach to protecting them and our communities,” said MSD Executive Director Tony Parrott. “When we take a regional view and plan holistically across the watershed, we can leverage economies of scale, operate more efficiently and make smart investments to benefit the communities we serve. Mayor Eadens and Judge/Executive Summers have been tremendous partners throughout this process and we’re excited to get this project underway for the benefit of Bullitt County residents and local waterways.”
Smaller, localized wastewater treatment facilities, often called “package plants,” have been shown to not have capacity to accommodate the volumes required for growing suburban communities – increasing their maintenance costs and likelihood of hazardous sewer overflows into local waterways.
The package plants MSD will decommission are the more than 50-year-old Hillview #1 plant on Lees Lane, and the 25-plus-year-old Bullitt Hills plant on Zoneton Rd.
By consolidating treatment at MSD’s Derek R. Guthrie Water Quality Treatment Center, the system will benefit from the capacity and efficiencies of a larger regional facility.
Derek R. Guthrie has undergone multiple upgrades and is rated to treat up to 60 million gallons of wastewater per day. “This project represents an important step toward protecting our environment and improving the public health and quality of life of our residents,” said Hillview Mayor Jim Eadens. “This is an investment not only in our infrastructure, but in the future of Hillview and the families who call it home.”
Construction will take approximately two years and includes installation of 7,120 linear feet of underground sewer lines and construction of a new regional pump station near Preston Highway and Zoneton Rd. designed to pump approximately 2,100 gallons of wastewater per minute.
Once the new system is operational, crews will decommission and dismantle the existing Hillview #1 and Bullitt Hills plants, as well as the existing Zoneton Rd. pump station.
In addition to improving wastewater treatment and the health of local waterways, the project will address odor concerns in the surrounding area. Both existing plants use open-air treatment processes, and under the new system wastewater will remain contained underground, conveyed through an underground pump system.
MSD awarded the prime construction contract to local company MAC Construction & Excavating which brought in a comprehensive project bid $5 million dollars under the engineer’s project estimate.
“MAC Construction secured highly competitive subcontractor quotes during the bidding process, which saves ratepayers money,” said Joey Ashby, MSD’s Senior Collections Engineer and a lead on the project. “We’ve partnered with them on previous projects in Bullitt County and are pleased with the quality and speed of their work.”
MSD expanded wastewater treatment service to 4,700 customers in Bullitt County in 2021 when it acquired the Bullitt County Sanitation District. Today, MSD serves customers in Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties. Customer rates are established separately for each county, based on operating costs and capital improvement needs per county.
