Sanitary sewer improvement projects may be coming soon to your Lexington neighborhood. The city’s Division of Water Quality is holding a public meeting Sept. 10 to inform residents and seek comments about the plans to improve sanitary sewers.
The public is invited to attend the meeting to discuss the development of Remedial Measures Plans, which will become the master plan for fixing Lexington’s sanitary sewer system. The meeting will focus on needed improvements in the North Elkhorn and South Elkhorn watersheds.
The sanitary sewer meeting will be Monday, Sept. 10, at the Northeast Christian Church, 990 Star Shoot Parkway. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose/Gym.
To find out your watershed, visit www.lexingtonky.gov/remedialmeasures and enter your address.
The Consent Decree between Lexington and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Commonwealth of Kentucky requires the city to make improvements to its sanitary and storm sewer systems.
The city has been specifically ordered to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). An SSO occurs when the sanitary sewer line is blocked or when stormwater enters the sewer line and overloads the sanitary sewer system. SSOs in Lexington have caused hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage to be discharged directly into Fayette County creeks each year.
Over the past three years, the city has made significant progress in sanitary sewer improvements, including the replacement of the South Elkhorn, North Elkhorn, Deep Springs and Dixie pump stations.
Additionally, the city has undertaken a long-term program of inspecting, mapping and repairing existing sanitary sewer lines, stormwater lines and manhole access points to the system. Smoke testing was performed throughout the city to ensure that all types of structures, including houses and commercial facilities, are connected to the correct sewer.
The results of the inspections, mapping and smoke testing will be used for the development of the Remedial Measures Plans.
Proposed Remedial Measures Plans for the East Hickman, West Hickman, Wolf Run, Cane Run and Town Branch watersheds have been developed and submitted to the US EPA for approval.
For more information on the meeting or on the Remedial Measures Plans, visit www.lexingtonky.gov/remedialmeasures.