The Regional Water Resource Agency (RWRA) is taking the next step toward replacing the aging Locust force main, a critical sewer line that carries nearly half of Owensboro’s wastewater. The agency has secured preliminary approval for low-interest funding but must still go before the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA) board in May or June for final approval.
The project, estimated to take three years, will be covered under existing rate increases, meaning customers will not see additional rate hikes.
“This will not impact anybody’s rates,” said RWRA Executive Director Joe Schepers. “The current rate increases that we did in 2022 and 2023 will cover this.”
Schepers said the Locust force main, installed in the 1950s, is made of outdated materials and has surpassed its expected lifespan. RWRA officials want to replace it before potential failures cause widespread issues.
“It’s a 70-year-old pipe that’s gone well beyond its useful lifespan, and our goal is to go ahead and replace this pipe before we start having issues with it,” Schepers said.
He said the force main carries about 44% of the city’s combined sewer system flow, primarily from downtown Owensboro. Because there is no backup system in place, a failure would have significant consequences.
“If anything were to happen to this pipe, there’s no other pipe that we can put this water in,” Schepers said. “If the pipe would end up failing before we replace it, then 44% of the sewage would end up going directly into the Ohio River, which would also mean backups in basements, streets, and low-lying areas.”
RWRA initially budgeted $17.8 million for the project at a 3% interest rate but has since been awarded $18.3 million at a lower 1.25% interest rate. Additionally, $4 million of the loan is forgivable, leading to an estimated $8 million in savings.
The RWRA board approved moving forward with the loan process before bringing it to the rate board Tuesday night. With the board’s approval, RWRA will now go to the KIA board in May or June for final approval. If approved, RWRA will hire engineers and begin the design phase in June, with construction expected to take about three years and finish in 2028.
The exact path of the new force main has not been determined, and that decision will affect how much disruption the project causes.
“Right now, it is in the streets that go through the middle of downtown,” Schepers said. “If we do the same route, there’ll be a lot of houses and businesses that could be disrupted. But again, until we start doing design, start doing cost estimates of which route we want to take, it’s too early to tell.”
RWRA also has long-term plans to construct an equalization (EQ) basin to help reduce flooding and sewer overflows during heavy storms. The basin would temporarily store excess water, preventing it from being discharged directly into the Ohio River.
“We redirect water instead of dumping it into the Ohio River,” Schepers said. “We temporarily store it, and once the storm is over, we slowly bleed the water out of the basin back into the plant again.”
RWRA is responsible for all sewage and wastewater throughout Owensboro and Daviess County, with the exception of Whitesville, which operates its own system. Clean water is primarily provided by Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU) and distributed to county residents through Daviess County Water and the City of Whitesville.
Schepers emphasized that while there are no immediate concerns with the force main, replacing it now is critical to avoiding a potential disaster.
“It’s critical that we get this pipe replaced before something happens,” he said.
