Metropolitan Sewer District

- 7100 Covered Cove Way, Prospect, KY 40059

The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), formally known as the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, is one of Kentucky's most essential regional utilities, operating as a distinct public body and subdivision of the Commonwealth of Kentucky since its creation in 1946. While it is classified in some directories simply as a 'Plumber' or 'Local government office,' its mission is far broader, encompassing a comprehensive suite of services vital to public health, safety, and environmental stewardship throughout the Louisville Metro area and beyond.

MSD is a unique 'three-in-one' agency responsible for wastewater treatment, stormwater and drainage management, and operation of the extensive Ohio River flood protection system. This integrated approach allows the organization to manage the complex interplay between sanitary sewer systems, rainwater runoff, and flood risk, ensuring safe, clean waterways for hundreds of thousands of residents. The primary function—wastewater management—includes the collection, treatment, and disposal of sanitary wastewater, utilizing thousands of miles of sewer lines, including both sanitary and combined sewers that serve the developed portions of Jefferson County and inter-local areas in Bullitt and Oldham Counties.

The agency’s role as a large-scale public works entity means that when residents search for a 'plumber,' they are often seeking the entity responsible for the maintenance and repair of the public sewer mains, as distinct from the private pipes on their property. MSD maintains the large-scale infrastructure, conducts critical sewer repair and replacement projects, and provides specialized residential assistance programs designed to protect private property and public waterways from the impacts of aging infrastructure and heavy rainfall.

For residents across Kentucky's Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area, MSD is an indispensable component of daily life, protecting both property and the environment 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its work is governed by a commitment to complying with strict federal and state environmental standards, notably through major capital programs aimed at reducing sewer overflows that have historically impacted local streams and the Ohio River.

While the Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District's main administrative hub is located at 700 W Liberty Street in Louisville, the specific address provided—7100 Covered Cove Way, Prospect, KY 40059—points to a location within the expansive northeastern Jefferson County service area. Prospect is an affluent suburban city situated in the north-central portion of Kentucky, bordering the Ohio River. This particular address is in a residential area, suggesting it may relate to a satellite office, field operations center, a specific pump station, or a designated maintenance facility for the eastern county regions.

The Prospect area is known for its accessibility via major thoroughfares that connect it directly to the greater Louisville Metro area. The official, publicly listed main office for customer service and general inquiries is centrally located in downtown Louisville. However, having a local presence in Prospect, within the 40059 zip code, underscores MSD's operational reach across the entire county, including areas requiring specialized infrastructure maintenance like the large-scale systems found in the Prospect region. For most customer interactions, including billing or reporting an emergency, the primary customer service lines and online portals are the most accessible points of contact.

The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District provides critical services categorized into three main utility functions, complemented by specific repair and assistance programs for residents.

• Wastewater Collection, Treatment, and Disposal: This core service involves maintaining thousands of miles of sanitary sewer lines and collecting wastewater from over 600,000 residents in Jefferson County and surrounding areas. It includes the operation of Kentucky’s largest wastewater treatment facilities, such as the Morris Forman Water Quality Treatment Center, to ensure water is cleaned before being discharged into the environment.
• Public Sewer System Repair Services: This is the 'Repair services' component, which involves the comprehensive operation, maintenance, and replacement of all public sewer lines, including aging infrastructure that is over a century old in some parts of Louisville. Repair services include responding to and resolving blockages and issues in the main sewer lines, a key function distinguishing them from private property plumbers.
• Stormwater/Drainage Management: MSD manages the vast system of open channels, streams, pipes, culverts, and basins designed to collect and convey stormwater runoff, reducing the risk of localized flooding and improving water quality. This includes the management of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program, which controls the quality of stormwater discharge into local waterways.
• Ohio River Flood Protection: MSD operates and maintains the extensive system of levees, floodwalls, and flood pumping stations, collectively known as the Ohio River Flood Protection System (ORFPS), which was developed after the devastating 1937 flood to shield Louisville from river flooding.
• Residential Backflow Prevention Program: Offered under the Plumbing Modification Program, this helps qualifying homeowners who have experienced sewer backups during heavy rain. If approved, MSD covers the cost to install backflow prevention devices to protect basements from future sewer overflows.
• Sump Pump/Downspout Disconnection Program: Also part of the Plumbing Modification Program, this aims to keep clear, untreated water out of the sanitary sewer system by assisting homeowners with the costs of disconnecting illegally connected sump pumps and downspouts, thereby reducing the strain on the sewer system and limiting environmental overflows.

As a major public utility in Kentucky, the Metropolitan Sewer District offers several features and commits to initiatives that highlight its significance to the community and environment.

• Integrated Utility Model: MSD is one of the few agencies in the nation that combines wastewater treatment, stormwater drainage, and flood protection under one organization, allowing for highly coordinated infrastructure management.
• Major Economic Engine: The agency is a significant contributor to the local economy, supporting thousands of local construction jobs annually through its multi-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which involves billions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades.
• Environmental Compliance Mandate: A substantial portion of MSD’s capital budget is dedicated to meeting federally mandated Consent Decree requirements, focusing on eliminating or significantly reducing billions of gallons of untreated sewage overflows into the Ohio River and its tributaries.
• Advanced Water Quality Centers: MSD is continually modernizing its facilities, such as the Morris Forman Water Quality Treatment Center, to sustainably produce high-quality outputs, including Class A biosolids for agricultural use, demonstrating a commitment to resource recovery.
• Focus on Stormwater Quality: Beyond flood control, MSD runs initiatives like the MS4 Program to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff, protecting the ecological health of local streams and rivers.
• Financial Assistance Programs: Through programs like the Plumbing Modification Program, MSD offers direct, subsidized assistance to homeowners for essential private property protections (like backflow prevention) that benefit the entire public system.

For general inquiries, emergencies, billing, or information on specific homeowner assistance programs, residents can contact the Metropolitan Sewer District using the following details.

Primary Customer Relations and Emergency Line:

(502) 292-2774 (Phone and Mobile Phone)

Local Prospect Area Address (Operational or Administrative):

7100 Covered Cove Way, Prospect, KY 40059, USA

Note that this Prospect address likely represents a localized administrative or operational location. The main MSD Customer Service Office is located at 700 W Liberty Street, Louisville, KY 40203. For 24/7 service regarding overflows or other emergencies, the primary Customer Relations line is the recommended first point of contact.

Choosing to rely on the Metropolitan Sewer District is not a choice of a private service provider, but a participation in a mandatory, comprehensive public utility system—a critical investment in the environmental health and physical security of the entire community. What makes MSD worth 'choosing' for Kentucky residents is its unparalleled capacity and mandated responsibility to handle large-scale utility and environmental challenges that no private entity could manage.

MSD handles infrastructure that is beyond the scope of a traditional residential plumber, managing the thousands of miles of public sewer mains and the massive civil engineering projects required to keep waterways clean and reduce flooding. When a sewer emergency occurs in the public right-of-way, such as a main line collapse or a combined sewer overflow, MSD is the only organization equipped to deploy the necessary resources to manage and repair the fault, thereby restoring service and protecting public health.

Furthermore, its commitment to mandated environmental improvements ensures that resident tax dollars are continually invested into long-term infrastructure health, mitigating billions of gallons of pollution through projects required by federal regulation. For homeowners facing plumbing issues related to the public system, MSD’s specialized programs—like the Backflow Prevention Program—provide financial relief and expert oversight for private property modifications that help the entire public system function more efficiently. By supporting MSD, residents are actively funding the Ohio River floodwalls, the water quality treatment centers, and the vast network of pipes that collectively ensure the community's safety and environmental future. It is a critical foundation of modern life in the Louisville Metro region.

Metropolitan Sewer District

7100 Covered Cove Way, Prospect, KY 40059, USA