23 stories underground, MSD project underway to contain storm water overflow

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - MSD showed off the progress on its Waterway Protection Tunnel that's now 20 feet in diameter and, when done, four miles long.

The tunnel will stretch from 12th and Rowan Streets to Lexington Road and Grinstead Drive and will help keep millions of gallons of sewage overflow out of the Ohio River and Beargrass Creek.

MSD says right now all of Louisville's water, including wastewater, flows through the same pipes as the storm overflow to the water treatment plant. That causes problems when it rains. It's also a lot more efficient than the original solution to our overflow issues according to Alston Noronha, the construction manager.

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"Less public disruption, more real estate that the basins would take up is now available for other purposes, and basically its an efficient way to capture the CSO flows and then convey it to the treatment plant," said Noronha.

The Waterway Protection Tunnel, which eliminates the need for four basin projects, will take up to 55 million gallons of sewer overflow and store it until the rain stops and the treatment plant can handle bringing the water through.

The tunnel will be finished by December 2020.