Budgets

Overview

MSD needs to balance its budget, just like everyone else. We begin this process every summer and complete it by November or December for the coming year.

We have two budgets:

Operating Budget - funding needed to support MSD's operation of more than 3,000 miles of public sewers and interceptors, 100 pump stations, 9 wastewater treatment plants, 9 wet weather facilities, and the Lick Run Greenway in South Fairmount. The Operating budget includes personnel costs and non-personnel costs such as equipment and tools, chemicals, fuel, electricity, natural gas, and fleet vehicles. It also includes debt service, which is the repayment of debt (principal and interest payments) on bonds and loans used to fund Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. Our Operating budget is funded through customer sewer bills.
Capital Budget - funding for capital items like new sewers, upgrades to treatment plants, and other assets. The budget also includes wet weather projects mandated by our Wet Weather Program to reduce sewer overflows into local streams and rivers. Our capital budget is funded through bonds, low-interest loans through the Ohio Water Development Authority, and cash.

The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) is responsible for approving MSD's budgets and setting rates. As part of the process, MSD typically proposes budgets to the BoCC in August followed by meetings over the next several months to finetune the proposals. The BoCC hosts a public hearing(s) in November or December prior to final approval of the budgets.

Public Hearings for MSD's Proposed 2025 Budgets and Sewer Rates

The BoCC will conduct public hearings to consider MSD's proposed 2025 Operating Budget, proposed 2025 Capital Budget and 2025 – 2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and revised sewer rates:

1:15 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024
1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 19, 2024

The hearings will be held in person in Room 603 in the Office of the Board of County Commissioners of Hamilton County, Ohio, Todd B. Portune Center for County Government, 138 E. Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. For virtual participation in the public hearings, please review the information on the Commissioners Meetings website

The public can also send comments:

Online through Hamilton County's electronic public hearing website
In writing to Leslie Hervey, Clerk of the Board, Todd B. Portune Center for County Government, 138 E. Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

Proposed 2025 Operating Budget

MSD's proposed 2025 Operating Budget is about $244 million. This is about a 2% increase over the approved 2024 budget.

The proposed budget includes:

$66.6 million for personnel
$73 million for non-personnel (e.g., chemicals, equipment)
$6.8 million for General Fund Overhead (GFOH), fleet vehicles, and Office Technology Equipment Allowance (OTEA)
$11 million for the Sewer Backup (SBU) Program (non-personnel)
$86 million for debt payment

VIEW THE PROPOSED 2025 OPERATING BUDGET

Proposed 2025 Capital Budget

MSD's proposed 2025 Capital Budget is about $529.7 million.

The proposed budget includes:

$7.4 million for planning, design, and easement acquisitions for six projects, including the Little Miami WWTP High-Rate Treatment Facility Preparation in Columbia-Tusculum/East End
$446.7 million for construction of five projects, including two major ones in Queensgate: the East Branch Ohio River Interceptor Extension and the Mill Creek High-Rate Pump Station
$75.6 million for various allowances (e.g., Critical Asset Management, Main Sewer Renewal Program), MSD labor, programmatic contingency, and Hamilton County oversight

View the proposed 2025 Capital Budget and 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

Proposed 2025 Sewer Rate Increase

A 4.5% sewer rate increase is being proposed that would go into effect on January 1, 2025. This rate increase will cost the average single-family residential household (that uses 5 CCF of water a month and has a 5/8th inch water meter) an additional $2.43 a month, bringing their average monthly sewer bill to $56.41. The increase is needed to cover the higher costs of treating wastewater and to meet MSD's capital needs for sewer infrastructure.

MSD offers a sewer rate discount to low-income seniors who own their own homes. Learn more

Interested in how your sewer bill is calculated? Learn more