COVINGTON, Ky. - A $1.2 million project to reduce sewage overflows and backups is about to begin in a corner of Covington’s Eastside neighborhood.

 

Workers from SD1, Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky, will begin moving construction equipment and materials on Monday to the eastern end of 10^th Street near the floodwall in preparation for work that will take several months.

 

While residents will notice and hear construction equipment beginning next week, the work won’t affect street traffic or parking for several more weeks to a month, said Spencer Stork, project manager for SD1. Eventually, however, crews will begin cutting into the roads, and parking will be limited and traffic flow will be restricted on 9^th, 10^th and Prospect streets, Stork said.

 

The project area includes 9^th Street from Greenup Street to the levee, 10^th Street from just west of Greenup to the levee, Prospect Street between 9^th and 10^th, parts of Randolph Park, and the floodwall near the 10^th Street shelter house.

 

The goal is to build a new storm water drainage system to separate rainwater from mixing with sanitary sewage, Stork said.

 

As in much of the City, the existing drainage system is an aging, outdated combined system in which one pipe carries both sanitary sewage from sinks, toilets, showers, and tubs in people’s houses and rain from gutters and street-corner catch basins.

 

During heavy storms, the system can be easily overwhelmed, causing partially diluted sewage to overflow into the Licking River and floor drains in basements to back up.

 

Combined sewers are common throughout older areas of Northern Kentucky’s urban communities.

 

The project is necessary “to help protect public health, property and the environment,” Stork said. “There are several projects (like this) going on right now.”

 

The work will take several months, depending upon the weather and any complications that are discovered, he said.

 

Covington Public Works Director Rick Davis said the City appreciated SD1’s ongoing efforts to update Covington’s sewers.

 

“Covington has miles of this outdated and problematic combined sewer system, and it’s going to take many projects like this to continue to separate the storm and sanitary systems for the betterment of the community,” Davis said. “This is the next phase in the continuous effort to reduce overflows and backups.”

 

Davis also said he appreciates residents’ patience during the work. Notices about traffic and parking restrictions will be posted ahead of time.

 

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