Proposed Sewer Improvements in the Lick Run Watershed
The Lick Run watershed is home to Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) 5, the largest CSO in Hamilton County.
Every year, about 1 billion gallons of raw sewage - mixed with stormwater - overflow from CSO 5 into the Mill Creek. Of that total, less than 25% is sewage - the rest comes from stormwater and what used to be natural stream flow.
The Lick Run watershed covers about 2,700 acres on Cincinnati's west side. It includes Cincinnati's South Fairmount neighborhood and portions of East and West Price Hill and Westwood.
The watershed was named after a stream that once ran between Queen City and Westwood avenues and discharged into Mill Creek.
The stream was enclosed within the 19.5-foot-diameter Lick Run combined sewer, which runs under 3,700 feet of streets and buildings in South Fairmount.
Today, a combination of wastewater, natural drainage and stormwater enters the Lick Run combined sewer, located between Queen City and Westwood avenues.
During dry weather, the flow is conveyed to the Mill Creek treatment plant in Lower Price Hill where it is treated.
When it rains, the Lick Run combined sewer can become filled beyond its capacity. Excess flow is diverted - untreated - through the CSO 5 outfall to the Mill Creek.
MSD has submitted a proposed solution for reducing overflows from CSO 5. The Regulators are anticipated to make a decision by Spring 2013.
For more information on this proposed project, please visit the links in the left margin.
Project Groundwork
Project Groundwork is MSD's plan for reducing and eliminating sewer overflows into local creeks and rivers.
The Lick Run Project is part of Project Groundwork.
To find out more about the challenges of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and to learn about Project Groundwork solutions and benefits, click on the links in the menu at the top.
Watch the Lick Run and Communities of the Future Video!
What's New?
A new video on MSD's proposed Lick Run project and its impact on brownfields was released last week at the 2013 National Brownfields Conference in Atlanta, which drew more than 6,000 attendees.
The Lick Run project, part of MSD's Lower Mill Creek solution to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Mill Creek, is anticipated to clean up and repurpose about 30 acres of brownfields, vacant or otherwise underutilized land in the City of Cincinnati's South Fairmount neighborhood and provide a catalyst for revitalization of other brownfield sites in the vicinity.
U.S. EPA approval of the Lower Mill Creek solution is anticipated this spring.
Click here for the video.
NEW: Visit the Lower Mill Creek page to find out the latest information on the Lower Mill Creek Partial Remedy, MSD's plan for substantially reducing combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Mill Creek by 2018.
Community Involvement
Click a headline for more information.
NEW: Daylighting of Saw Mill River (links to New York Times article about project similar to Lick Run Project)
Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the South Fairmount Community Council co-sponsored a "Great American Cleanup" in South Fairmount on Saturday, April 21, 2012.
The event focused on cleaning up illegal dump sites and litter, cutting back overgrown vegetation in public areas and weeding/mulching community planting beds.
About 30 people participated in the event representing a variety of groups and organizations, including South Fairmount residents and the South Fairmount Community Council, San Antonio Church members, Cincinnati Community Development, Hamilton County Planning & Development, MSD, Orion Academy, Procter & Gamble and Talbert House.
For more information about the event, please contact Alicia Kravitz, Resource Manager, at Keep Cincinnati Beautiful at Alicia.Kravitz@cincinnati-oh.gov or (513) 352-4386.
More than 100 citizens have participated in tours of the Lick Run watershed since July 2011.
If you are interested in a tour, please send us an email at MSD.Communications@cincinnati-oh.gov.
On Saturday, October 22, 2011 - as part of the national Make A Difference Day - local residents and community leaders joined together to clean up St. Clair Park in South Fairmount.
Lick Run FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Lick Run Project.
U.S. EPA Involvement
NEW: "Science In Action" Fact Sheet on Lick Run
Lick Run Watershed Strategic Integration Plan (Final), July 2011: Full Report
Lick Run Watershed Strategic Integration Plan (Final), July 2011: Document Only
Memo from U.S. EPA, 4-20-11
In the News
(links to news sites)
Cincinnati Enquirer (North and South Fairmount article), 4-1-12
Cincinnati Enquirer (Lick Run article), 6-12-11
Business Courier (Project Groundwork article), 2-25-11
Contact Us
If you have questions or comments about the Lick Run Project, please contact the MSD Engineering Customer Service Line at (513) 557-3594 or send an email to MSD.Communications@cincinnati-oh.gov.
