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MSD says sewer-backup program authorized cleaning for roughly 940 properties; SBU budget faces shortfall
Summary
MSD reported about 1,860 sewer-backup reports from July storms, authorized roughly 940 addresses for cleaning, and projects 2026 response costs may exceed the $8.2M SBU budget; MSD described the claims process, a two-year filing window, and an ombudsman phone line for legal assistance.
Diana Christie of MSD told commissioners the agency received a little over 1,800 reports tied to the July events and had authorized roughly 940 addresses for cleaning under the sewer-backup (SBU) program.
"Based on the July 17, which really kind of bled into the 21st, we received a total of 1,800, a little over 1,800 reports," Christie said. She added that MSD had been triaging and investigating reports, sending crews to inspect manholes and signs of sewer surcharge, and authorizing cleaning by segment to speed response.
Christie reviewed the SBU program steps: report an impact (phone or mobile-friendly online form), field investigation to look for public-sewer surcharge, authorization for cleaning, contractor remediation and documentation, and then the claims process. She stressed the consent-decree requirement that sewer backups be reported ideally within 48 hours of discovery for eligibility, but MSD would exercise flexibility where call volumes and phone systems overwhelmed intake.
She also gave practical details about filing and assistance: MSD provides an online claim form and a two-year window to submit documentation for a claim after an event; an SBU ombudsman (Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati) is available at (513) 362-2801 for support with claims.
On finances, Christie said the board-approved 2026 SBU budget was a little over $8.2 million, with $3.4 million spent through June. "It is our projection now that that cleaning work ... over 900 is going to, you know, put us in a position where we'll need additional funding for the SBU program in 2026," she told the board, estimating July response-related cleaning and labor could push costs toward several million more this year and generate claim pressure in coming years.
Commissioners asked about prevention-program capacity, professional-services costs, contractor contracting terms, and whether MSD could expand mobile-reporting options; Christie said MSD uses existing multi-year contracts for cleanup to reduce emergency price-gouging risk and that the initial reporting system is mobile-friendly while the claims process requires more documentation.
