Louisville MSD has taken another step toward a regional approach for watershed protection.
The Bullitt County Sanitation District (BCSD) and Bullitt County Fiscal Court signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) authorizing MSD representatives to review all facets of the BCSD operations with the intent of acquisition. Pending results from that review, MSD would own and manage the BCSD system improvements while creating greater operational efficiencies that benefit all customers.
“A watershed crosses over cities and counties, it is best to protect and manage that watershed with a regional approach,” said MSD Executive Director Tony Parrott. “When you remove the arbitrary jurisdictional or political boundaries, we have the opportunity to look holistically across the watershed, bring economies of scale, and make investments and improvements that benefit the entire region, not just one county or the other.”
Under the preliminary proposal, MSD would assume BCSD’s duties and responsibilities in early 2021 for its 4,200 residential customers and eight small “package” wastewater treatment plants. One of the initial actions is to develop a capital improvement plan addressing aging and failing systems and take advantage of regional economies of scale to benefit the ratepayers in both counties.
MSD will maintain the BCSD customer rate structure approved in 2016 by Bullitt County Fiscal Court, through its conclusion in 2026. At that point, BCSD rates will rise no more than 3-percent per year until BCSD and MSD rates equalize.
“We will be able to replace many of the “package” treatment plants that are past their useful service with a regional solution, improving the sewer service reliability in the area and the health of local waterways,” Parrott said.
