What Can You Do
Public Involvement in Project WIN
MSD has assembled a Wet Weather Team to assist in the development of Project WIN. The Wet Weather Team consists of community representatives, civic leaders, elected officials and MSD personnel who will advise MSD on its investment, policy and performance choices in the design of Project WIN. The community representatives will play an important role in helping to ensure that these choices can be made wisely and in ways that best meet the needs of the local community.
As MSD works to develop Project WIN, you will notice an increase in information and notifications about sewer overflows, as well as educational materials addressing watershed management, water protection and steps you can take to help make Louisville Metro's waterways cleaner. Soon, you will also start hearing about planned construction projects and how we will fund Project WIN. Signs will be posted throughout Louisville Metro that alert you to the need to protect yourself and your family in the event of a sewer overflow.
What can you do to help solve the problem?
You can begin to make an immediate difference by taking the following steps:
- Disconnect downspouts, driveway or foundation drains, groundwater sump pumps or any other stormwater connection from the sanitary sewer system.
- Re-direct your downspouts so that rain soaks into your yard or garden.
- Sump pumps help to keep your home dry by pumping ground water away from your foundation. They also must drain into your lawn or yard area.
- It is prohibited and illegal to have the sump pump connected to the sanitary sewer. Such connections allow a tremendous amount of water to enter the system which, in turn, during wet weather causes the sanitary sewer to exceed the pipe's capacity and overflow into nearby ditches and streams or backup into downstream homes.
- Have the line that connects your house with the public sewer line (called a house lateral) inspected. Repairing broken laterals, which is the homeowner's responsibility, can reduce stormwater from leaking into pipes and prevent sewer backups into your home.