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Director's Perspective
While many of our challenges remain the same as 40 years ago, today’s world demands much more of us than before.
- We have inherited a system of aging infrastructure, some built as long ago as the 1800s. Much of our system is past its intended operational life, necessitating significant annual costs in replacements and upgrades.
- Second, Cincinnati has the fifth highest volume of combined sewer overflow (CSO) in the U.S. As a result, water quality has been impacted in Mill Creek, the Little Miami River, the Great Miami River, the Ohio River and many tributaries. Consequently, we must meet the requirements of a federal mandate, or Consent Decree, to reduce CSOs and eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). Project Groundwork, our program for meeting the Consent Decree, is the biggest public works program ever undertaken in Hamilton County, estimated to cost more than $3.29 billion ($2006).
- Third, the economic downturn has created challenges for our community. Like everyone else, we are learning to do more with less.
- Finally, in our region and elsewhere, both leaders and the public understand that human health and well-being depend upon the health of the natural environment – surface and ground waters, air, soils, and diversity within ecosystems. We therefore include environmental protection as one of our core responsibilities.
These and other factors are reshaping the MSD organization, our vision, and our mission. In 2008, we redesigned our strategic plan, and in 2009 we began to implement it. The strategic plan builds on the concept of sustainability – on striking a balance between our mandated mission and environmental protection, community well-being, and fiscal responsibility.
Our organization looks, thinks, and acts differently from the MSD of the past. Within our core function to collect and treat wastewater, we are improving our business practices and building quality relationships with customers, local businesses, neighbors, elected officials, and employees. We are more focused on operating efficiently and reducing costs. We are contributing to the quality of life in the geographic region we serve, by getting involved in the community revitilization discussion by partnering with other organizations. And, more than ever, we are dedicated to protecting the natural environment. These strategies are leading us to make better decisions that will reduce liabilities and leave a positive legacy for future generations.
This Sustainability Report shares the first steps we have been making toward redefining MSD's accountability and how we serve our region. I encourage your feedback and invite you to join us in putting our energy into building a bright future.
Sincerely,
James A. (Tony) Parrott
Executive Director, Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati