From distilleries and restaurants to hospitals, schools and green spaces, nearly every part of life in Northern Kentucky depends on reliable water service. Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1) and the Northern Kentucky Water District (NKWD) joined more than 1,000 organizations nationwide for the “Imagine a Day Without Water” campaign, spotlighting how both clean drinking water and wastewater systems sustain the region’s health, economy and quality of life.
“Safe, sustainable and affordable drinking water is at the heart of everything we do,” said NKWD President/CEO Lindsey Rechtin. “We take our role in ensuring delivery to homes and business in our region very seriously. From the first cup of coffee in the morning to the hospitals that care for our families, nothing works without clean, reliable water. It sustains everything we do.”
SD1 spokesperson Chris Cole said the same is true for wastewater, the hidden side of the cycle.
“It’s easy to take wastewater services for granted, but imagine a day without being able to flush a toilet, run a dishwasher or drain your sink,” he said. “Behind the scenes, field crews, engineers and environmental scientists make sure dirty water leaves Northern Kentucky homes and businesses safely and is treated before it reaches our environment. That’s what keeps our communities and rivers healthy.”
NKWD provides drinking water for Campbell, Kenton and portions of Boone, Grant and Pendleton counties, while SD1 manages wastewater and stormwater in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties. SD1 collects what leaves homes and businesses, treats it before it returns to local rivers, and manages stormwater to reduce flooding and protect water quality. Together, they oversee both ends of the water cycle: clean water in, dirty water out.
To provide those services takes thousands of miles of pipes running to and from just about every building; pump stations that move water across Northern Kentucky’s hilly terrain; and treatment plants that clean water before and after it is used. Just as important, it takes the people who operate, build and maintain these systems, and the customers whose hard-earned dollars make this work possible.
Most of this infrastructure stays out of sight, but one recent project has caught the community’s attention along I-275: the new Lakeview Pump Station and storage tank rising as part of SD1’s Clean H2O40 program.
Clean H2O40 is SD1’s long-term plan to modernize wastewater and stormwater systems, reduce sewer overflows and improve water quality throughout Northern Kentucky. The Lakeview tank is just one example of this larger effort. It is designed to capture stormwater, prevent overflows and protect local creeks and rivers. It stands as a visible reminder of how Northern Kentucky is preparing today to meet environmental needs and ensure tomorrow’s water cycle keeps flowing. Learn more about the project.
Just as SD1 is addressing wastewater and stormwater challenges, NKWD is advancing projects that ensure safe, reliable drinking water continues to flow to homes, businesses and community spaces.
Over the past 30 years, NKWD has launched 17 Subdistrict Water Main Extension projects, bringing public water service to more than 4,000 customers. A subdistrict includes homes located on streets that are grouped together as one project for the purpose of extending water mains to unserved areas. Currently, two additional subdistrict projects are underway—one in Kenton County (Subdistrict O) and one in Campbell County (Subdistrict HB). When completed, more than 98.5% of households within NKWD’s service area will have access to the public water system.
Together, these two projects represent a combined investment of $9.5 million, made possible through federal grant funds distributed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and local American Rescue Plan Act funding. NKWD continues to actively pursue grant opportunities to expand service and further reduce the number of unserved households. Learn more about these projects.
Both agencies are proud to serve the community so that Northern Kentuckians never have to imagine a day without clean water. SD1 and NKWD encourage everyone to imagine their day without water — then share a post from your day and tag SD1 or use one of the campaign’s resources available at imagineadaywithoutwater.org.
Sanitation District No. 1