Potential 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 1.7 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 is currently evaluating potential sewer improvements in this watershed to resolve the overflows.
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 Alternative 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.
