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Hamilton County Commissioners Want Action On MSD Rates, Odor Control

Hamilton County Commissioners want Cincinnati's leaders to get moving on some changes for Metropolitan Sewer District. They unanimously passed a resolution calling on the City of Cincinnati to implement the recommendations of the Rate Affordability Task Force.

In 2016, the county-appointed task force delivered several proposals to contain the rising costs of sewer rates. Those recommendations have not been implemented.

They include switching from quarterly to monthly billing, basing bills for multi-family units on meter size, and reducing volumetric billing allocation.

The resolution approved on Wednesday also calls on the county administration to make monthly reports on implementing the recommendations. The administration was also asked to report on the development of a customer assistance program for MSD customers.

Odor Control: Commissioners approved a couple of measures designed to reduce sewage odors in the Mill Creek area. One resolution directs MSD to keep hydrogen sulfide monitors at the Septage Receiving Station and to report data to the administration every two weeks. The findings will be used to tailor an odor control system.

Another resolution calls for cleaning the Fitzpatrick Sewer, which runs between the Central Maintenance Facility and the De-watering Building in Lower Price Hill. Eleven odor complaints in the area have been traced to blockages in the sewer line.

The resolution states "MSD indicated to the Community Advisory Panel in March 2016 that it would have the sewer cleaned in April 2016… and the sewer has not been cleaned as of the date of this resolution."

MSD has one week to offer a schedule for the cleaning.

Commissioners approved a zero tolerance policy on sewer odors on January 18.

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.