$1 million announced in federal funding for Louisville flood protection system

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District will receive $1 million for upgrades to the city’s aging flood protection system.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will allocate the money, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in an announcement Monday.

“The Louisville area has seen its fair share of severe storms in recent years, which has made us hyper-focused on investing in flood prevention methods. This funding will bring much-needed repairs to the city’s aging flood control systems and invest in the longevity and safety of Louisville’s infrastructure,” McConnell said. “I was proud to help secure today’s funding and look forward to continued collaboration with the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District to ensure my hometown has the resources it needs to prevent flood-related destruction in the future.”

The funding for the project was included in USACE Fiscal Year 2023 Work Plan, which was funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, a release said.

McConnell supported and helped pass into law in 2021.

As part of the Bipartisan Budget Act McConnell, helped fund a feasibility study in 2018 to determine what repairs needed to be made to improve the city’s infrastructure and prevent future damage.

According to a release, McConnell secured a provision in the America’s Water Infrastructure Act in 2020 that required the Secretary of the Army to expedite the release of the USACE report, which would make necessary repairs associated with Louisville’s flood control system eligible for federal funding.

“Following Louisville’s 1937 flood, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed and built a system of levee, flood wall and pump stations to protect the city from flooding. More than 70 years later, the community still counts on much of that original system when river waters rise. Louisville MSD today is steward of this important asset, as flood protection joins stormwater management and wastewater treatment to comprise our three-in-one utility approach to serve our citizens on a daily basis,” Louisville MSD Executive Director Tony Parrott said. “The inclusion of $1 million in this year’s Army Corps work plan is a needed down payment on flood protection for Louisville and sets the stage to pursue additional federal funding to move these critical improvement projects forward. MSD appreciates the leadership of Senator McConnell and the Army Corps to secure this funding, as well as Mayor Greenberg and Louisville Metro’s continued support of safe, clean waterways for our residents.”