Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1), Northern Kentucky’s regional wastewater and stormwater utility has received the 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award from the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce during its annual Business Impact Awards ceremony.
The Chamber’s Business Impact Awards honor organizations that drive innovation and economic growth in the Northern Kentucky. SD1 was recognized for its groundbreaking Clean H2O40 program — a 20-year strategic plan that is transforming how the region manages sewer overflows, protecting waterways, and safeguarding community health.
“We are grateful to be recognized by the NKY Chamber and our peers in the business community,” said SD1 Executive Director Adam Chaney. “Our team works around the clock, often behind the scenes, to protect our rivers, our neighborhoods and our future. This award affirms that our efforts are making a real difference in the lives of Northern Kentuckians.”
SD1 manages more than 2,200 miles of sanitary and stormwater infrastructure across Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties, serving over 347,000 residents. The agency treats approximately 35 million gallons of wastewater daily and prevents about 105,000 pounds of waste from entering the Ohio River each day.
At the heart of SD1’s environmental efforts is Clean H2O40, a federally negotiated agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The program aims to eliminate all typical-year sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and capture at least 85% of typical-year combined system flow (CSO) by 2040.
During Phase 1 of the program, completed in 2023, SD1 significantly outperformed its regulatory targets—eliminating more than 60% of SSOs and capturing nearly 71% of CSOs. Key projects included a double siphon beneath the Licking River that removed 42 million gallons of typical-year SSOs and multiple equalization tanks that mitigated millions more.
SD1’s controlled storage approach—using detention basins and equalization tanks to hold and gradually release stormwater—has proven to be both environmentally and economically effective. This strategy is expected to save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the life of the program.
“SD1’s commitment to environmental stewardship is rooted in the belief that clean water is fundamental to quality of life,” said Chaney. “Northern Kentucky has always been a river town. Clean H2O40 is our pledge to future generations that we will keep those rivers clean, healthy and flowing with possibility.”
To learn more about Clean H2O40 and SD1’s mission to protect Northern Kentucky’s waterways, visit www.sd1.org.
Sanitation District No. 1