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Utilities Report
High quality utilities are essential for Kenton County to continue to support existing and future development which in turn will make the County competitive for jobs and a well-qualified workforce. There are currently several challenges being faced by utility providers in Kenton County, from economic development and site readiness, to maintaining and upgrading aging infrastructure. This chapter will examine utilities and services provided by three important organizations within Kenton County. The Sanitation District No. 1, the Northern Kentucky Water District and the Northern Kentucky Solid Waste Management Area all provide essential services to the county which are vital to providing a safe, healthy, and attractive environment which contributes to the overall economic competitiveness of the area.
Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1) manages sanitary and stormwater systems for the majority of Kenton County as shown in Figure 1. SD1 services 191 square miles, covering over 30 municipalities and unincorporated portions of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties. The agency has approximately 196,000 total customers and maintains 123 wastewater pumping stations, 15 flood pump stations and three major wastewater treatment plants. There are approximately 440 miles of storm sewer and over 1,650 miles of sanitary sewer lines within SD1’s jurisdiction. Wastewater is conveyed to three treatment plants in Northern Kentucky. Combined, SD1 major plants treat an average of 35.5 million gallons of wastewater per day from more than 94,000 sanitary customers.
Clean H2040
One of the most significant challenges facing SD1 and Kenton County is the reduction of stormwater overflow events. Overflows occur during wet weather when stormwater enters the system and exceeds the engineered capacity for rainwater. Excess rainfall overloads the system and combines with wastewater to form a mixture which can contain harmful bacteria. During particularly heavy rain events, stormwater is discharged into natural waterways at outfalls, entering into the region’s natural environment through creeks and rivers, and is harmful to humans and the ecosystem. SD1 has 97 outfalls within its coverage area. SD1’s Clean H2O40 program is an agreement between SD1, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, to address combined sewer overflows (CSO’s) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO’s). Under Clean H2O40, SD1 has target overflow reduction metrics every five years through a final deadline on January 1, 2040.
Clean H2O40 projects will improve reliability of the sewer system, eliminate a number of overflow locations and improve water quality. By the year 2040 SD1 will completely eliminate sanitary sewer overflows in a typical year; and recapture at least 85 percent of the typical-year combined system flow.
To attain these goals, SD1 is going to build a system that works smarter, not harder. Equalization tanks, detention basins and other structures are being built to strategically store flow during heavy rains and then control how and when that flow is reintroduced into our system.
This controlled storage approach, combined with targeted upsizing of pipes, is the most cost-effective strategy to meet the requirements of the Clean H2O40.
5-Year Milestones
SD1’s progress will be measured at critical 5-year milestones to ensure the utility is on pace to reach its Clean H2O40 goals. Those milestone dates are:
- July 1, 2023: At least 67 percent recapture of typical-year combined system flow and elimination of at least 20 percent of baseline typical-year SSOs
- January 1, 2029: At least 75 percent recapture of typical-year combined system flow and elimination of at least 75 percent of baseline typical-year SSOs
- July 1, 2034: At least 80 percent recapture of typical-year combined system flow and elimination of at least 90 percent of baseline typical-year SSOs
- January 1, 2040: At least 85 percent recapture of typical-year combined system flow and elimination of 100 percent of baseline typical-year SSO
The Northern Kentucky Water District (NKWD) is the largest publicly owned water district in the state of Kentucky and provides service to a majority of Kenton County as shown in Figure 2. The NKWD provides water for approximately 300,000 people in Northern Kentucky; including Kenton and Campbell Counties and portions of Boone, Grant, and Pendleton Counties. The system covers approximately 229 square miles, with 1,325 miles of main lines, and a total treatment capacity of 64 million gallons of water per day. NKWD utilizes 13 distribution pump stations, 19 water storage tanks, and currently produces on average 26.7 million gallons of water a day.
There are three water treatment plants: Taylor Mill, Fort Thomas, and Memorial Parkway. The Taylor Mill Treatment Plant draws water from the Licking River while the Fort Thomas and Memorial Parkway Treatment Plants draw from the Ohio River. Kenton County receives its water from the Taylor Mill and Fort Thomas plants.
WATER QUALITY
The drinking water supplied by the NKWD meets all of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) health standards. Above and beyond government regulations for monitoring, the NKWD tests and monitors water quality at over 155 locations every month. Up-to-date water quality information can be found in the District’s Consumer Confidence Report, which is available on NKWD’s website at: www.nkywater.org.
EXTENDING SERVICE
It is the intention of the NKWD for all residents within its service area to have access to the public water system. In the last 10 years, the NKWD has added approximately 42 miles of new water mains. Currently 99 percent of Kenton County households are served by NKWD. The remaining one percent, approximately 452 households, requires 57 miles of lines to add these properties to the water system. This extension of the water system will cost an estimated $30 million. To add households to the water system, NKWD applies for grants to help cover the costs of laying new water lines. These grants are usually available only to low-income participants, however, limiting their use. All new lines are a minimum of eight inches in diameter to ensure enough water pressure for fire hydrants.
FUTURE WATER USAGE
The NKWD expects the total system water usage to remain relatively flat for the next 30 years. Figure 3 illustrates the estimated water demand to the year 2050. This trend is attributed to the more widespread use of water saving fixtures and appliances. Based on this data, the current treatment system is more than capable of supplying the projected demands over the next 3 decades.
Figure 3: Projected Water System Demand
Population Estimate w/in Service Area | Average Day Demand (million gallons per day) | Maximum Day Demand (million gallons per day) | |
| 2020 | 276,029 | 26.9 | 37.6 |
| 2030 | 285,304 | 27.9 | 36.9 |
| 2040 | 289,250 | 28.4 | 37.6 |
| 2050 | 293,262 | 29.0 | 38.3 |
FUTURE CHALLENGES
Source Water Protection
The water sources for NKWD are the Ohio and Licking Rivers. A source water assessment has been completed on each. The following is a summary of the susceptibility analysis that is part of the source water assessment. Several areas of concern are related to the extensive development of transportation infrastructure, the potential for spills, high degree of impervious cover and polluted runoff. Areas of row crops and urban and recreational grasses introduce the potential for herbicide, pesticide, and fertilizer use – possible nonpoint source contaminants. Bridges, railroads, ports, waste handlers or generators, and Tier II hazardous chemical users in the area introduce the potential for spills or leaks of hazardous materials into the source water. Landfills and permitted discharges are relatively high in number for a supply area. Other areas of concern include several segments of streams already assessed as having impairments, power lines right-of-way with potential herbicide use, and residential septic systems located throughout the watershed. Since the intakes are in urban areas, the threat of underground storage tanks leaking must also be taken into account. The District and its partners including the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) and Greater Cincinnati Water Works routinely monitor the source water quality and raise community awareness about watershed protection.
Aging Infrastructure
Aging infrastructure is a nationwide challenge for water utilities as the equipment installed during the Works Projects Administration investments in the 1930s and the postwar boom of the 1950s reaches the end of its useful life. Some of NKWD’s facilities and pipes were built before the 1900s. The most recent EPA Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey reported $8.2 billion is needed to replace aging water infrastructure in Kentucky. NKWD experienced an average of 362 water line breaks per year from 2018 to 2022 with an average of 28 breaks per 100 miles per year. This is only slightly above the national average of 25 breaks per 100 miles per year. NKWD works diligently to maintain a reliable supply of water supply for its customers. NKWD maintains asset management plans to project useful life and plan for infrastructure replacement. In the last 10 years, for example, the NKWD has spent $46 million to replace 64 miles of pipe.
In 2021, the USEPA issued a revised regulation which requires identification of materials used for service lines connecting all customers to the public water system. NKWD anticipates many of the services lines (the pipe connecting a home to the water main) will be made of lead. NKWD takes the issue with lead seriously. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with home plumbing and water service lines. The District adds a corrosion inhibitor that creates a barrier to prevent corrosion throughout the system. Water does not contain lead when it leaves the NKWD’s treatment plants, and samples collected from customers’ homes for compliance monitoring did not show elevated levels of lead. To reduce the risk of potential lead exposure, USEPA recommends replacement of lead service lines.
Emerging Contaminants
USEPA is taking or considering actions to add regulations on several emerging contaminants. An “emerging contaminant” is defined as a chemical or material that is characterized by a perceived, potential, or real threat to human health or the environment or by a lack of published health standards. A compound may also be emerging because a new source or a new pathway to humans has been discovered, or a new detection method or treatment technology has been developed. USEPA maintains a list of emerging compounds that may warrant further possible study and regulation. As new testing of emerging contaminants is required or new rules are promulgated, NKWD may need to adjust treatment or invest in new treatment processes. NKWD already provides advanced treatment processes including granular activated carbon and ultraviolet light disinfection as part of a multi-barrier approach that is effective in treating broad categories of compounds.2
The three Northern Kentucky Counties of Boone, Campbell and Kenton form the Northern Kentucky Solid Waste Management Area (NKSWMA). The NKSWMA was created with the goal of improving communication between the counties; as well as better coordination of regional solid waste programs such as education, cleanup and recycling events, and reports. Kenton County and its constituent cities use private contracts for the collection and disposal of solid waste.
The NKSWMA is required by law to update its Solid Waste Plan every five years. In the Plan, various solid waste information is compiled and paired with the area’s plans for the future. Focus areas include recycling, disposal participation, litter, illegal dumps, and education.
Collection System Strengths
- The counties within NKSWMA host reliable haulers that provide reasonable collection rates for residential and commercial occupants. Each hauler supplies trash cans/dumpsters for occupants with attached lids (with fee), keeping odor and pest invasion in control.
- Boone and Kenton Counties offer a voucher program where residents can take one truckload or one 8-ft trailer load to Bavarian Waste Landfill (Walton, KY) for free. Certain guidelines do apply.
- Kenton and Campbell Counties offer Spring and Fall Cleanups (FKA Dump Days) where residents can drop off household trash for free.
- All NKSWMA Counties offer free recycling throughout the county. Boone and Kenton Counties utilize Big Blue Bins (Boone County Recycling Center), while Campbell County utilizes Rumpke Recycling.
- All NKSWMA Counties offer appliance drop-off for recycling throughout the work week. Additionally, Boone and Kenton Public Works/Transportation Center allows the following items for recycling drop-off: used oil, oil filters, gasoline, antifreeze, ink/toner cartridges, auto batteries, and scrap metal (each county differs in what exactly they take).
- For hazardous waste, NKSWMA hosts the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event each year.
- In addition, a Resource Guide is updated bi-annually to inform residents on how to recycle and dispose of items (e.g. electronics, hazardous waste, and tires) in the Greater Cincinnati Area.
Collection System Weaknesses
- All NKSWMA Solid Waste Ordinances have not been updated for some time. All need to be updated to reflect the progression of the county.
- The Annual Report relies solely on the response of the returned DEP 5033s. Need to confirm all haulers are completing in a timely manner and at all.
- With the large number of cities between NKSWMA Counties, we are not notified when city contracts are renewed or re-bid.
- Residents, in rural areas especially, deal with illegal dumping throughout the year. The cleanups and voucher programs are anticipated to help cease illegal dumping.3
The three utilities discussed in this chapter provide more than adequate service to the county. With SD1 working to comply with Clean H2O40, the County’s sewer system is undergoing an upgrade that will improve SD1’s ability to process sewage and keep the local water ways cleaner. Ninety nine percent of County residents receive water through the NKWD and they are pursuing grants to add the final one percent to the system, when possible. There are no areas that have a water shortage issue. Kenton County has a good water system and is in a constant state of improvement. Everyone in the County has access to solid waste service, and the NKSWMA reevaluates itself every five years to improve its services.
1Source: Sanitation District No. 1
2Source: Northern Kentucky Water District
3Source: Northern Kentucky Solid Waste Management Area
