3.1 HARRODS CREEK

WATERS of Jefferson County: July 1, 1999 – June 30, 2000 Harrods Creek Watershed

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3.1 HARRODS CREEK

This report is an update to the WATERS of Jefferson County – Year Zero Report. For ad-ditional information on the Harrods Creek Watershed, refer to the WATERS – Year Zero Report located on the CD in Appendix I. Exhibit 5 illustrates several features of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Programs in the Harrods Creek Watershed.

3.1.1 HISTORY, DEMOGRAPHIC AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION Only a small portion of the Harrods Creek Watershed is within Jefferson County. The entire drainage basin for Harrods Creek is approximately 92 square miles and is located in north-eastern Jefferson County and in parts of Oldham and Henry Counties. The headwaters originate just east of La-Grange, approximately 17 miles up-stream from Jefferson County. For the purpose of this report, only a 15.3 square mile portion of this watershed containing 53.5 miles of stream (the area located within Jefferson County) is included. Harrods Creek is highlighted in yellow in Figure 18. Table 17 illustrates the land use percentages for the Jefferson County portion of Harrods Creek. Table 17. Land Use Percentages (2000) – Harrods Creek Watershed

Total Imperviousness Undeveloped Commercial Parks Public Industrial Residential

22 42.6 1.5 2.0 0.4 8.8 43.0 Single-Family 1.7 Multi-Family

3.1.2 HYDROLOGY AND FLOODING An estimated 22% of the land in this watershed is impervious. The Harrods Creek Wa-tershed is subject to flooding from the Ohio River and localized flooding from its tribu-taries. There are approximately 1.4 square miles of flood hazard area (area within the 100-year Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Floodplain) and there are an estimated 179 structures located within this floodplain.

Figure 18. Harrods Creek Watershed (Jefferson County Portion Only)


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3.1.2.1 Flood Prevention Measures There are 29 detention basins in Harrods Creek. These detention basins are generally for small local developments and are too small to generate measurable water quality benefits from retrofitting. To date, no regional facilities have been constructed. Effective flood prevention measures would probably need to be located outside of Jefferson County.

3.1.3 STATUS OF WATER QUALITY Since the majority of the Harrods Creek Watershed is located outside the County, the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) has limited authority to manage the stream system. However, Harrods Creek has approximately six miles of stream on the 1998 303(d) list for violations of the State Water Quality Standards (Table 18). The State is required to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) for first pri-ority streams within the next decade.

A study on Harrods Creek conducted by the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) indi-cated that three wastewater treatment plants owned by the City of Prospect were impact-ing water quality. In April 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the KDOW TMDL strategy for Harrods Creek. MSD now owns the sanitary sewer system in Prospect. Once the TMDL strategy (source identification and load/waste load allocation) has been completed, the stream will remain listed until it attains water quality criteria.

Table 18. 303(d) List of Waters for TMDL Development – Harrods Creek Watershed

Stream Priority Impaired Use Pollutants of Concern Hite Creek First Aquatic Life Unknown Toxicity Harrods Creek Ongoing TMDL Project

3.1.4 WATER QUALITY IMPACTS Water quality data collected during the reporting period is being analyzed. The majority of the data was collected with minimonitors from the ambient monitoring sites. The re-sults of the data analysis will be presented in the WATERS of Jefferson County: July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001 Report.

3.1.4.1 Point Source Table 19 summarizes point sources in the Harrods Creek Watershed. Table 19. Summary of Point Sources – Harrods Creek Watershed

Sanitary Sewer Overflows

Combined Sewer

Overflows Storm Water

Outfalls General

Permittees

Significant Industrial

Users Wastewater

Treatment Plants

Recurring: 3 Investigated: 1 Eliminated: NA

NA

Year Sampled: 1998 Total: 312

Contaminated: 6 (.019%)

3 3 MSD Regional: 1

MSD small: 4 Private: 4


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SSO fact sheets and an Exhibit illustrating the SSO locations are located in Appendix V.

3.1.4.2 Non-Point Source Non-point source pollution is a problem in Harrods Creek. Nutrient levels in the water-shed are very high, most of which originate from lawn chemicals, agricultural chemicals, and golf courses. Storm runoff from construction sites, agricultural development, and commercial development have produced degraded streams with dramatically reduced habitat. Previous data does not indicate whether the impacts to Harrods Creek are non-point source/wet weather related or point source related because of lack of flow data. A con-tinuous stream flow gauge and a minimonitor were installed at a site on Covered Bridge Road during 1999. This will allow future load data to be analyzed. Data collected after the installation of this site to fall 2000 will be available in the WATERS of Jefferson County: July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001 Report.

3.1.4.3 Habitat and Biological Quality During the reporting period, fish, algae, and macroinvertebrates were sampled at the am-bient stream monitoring locations. Algae were sampled on five different days at these locations. Three-day growth rates, maximum carrying capacity, community structure, and biomass estimates are being analyzed for each sample. Fish and macroinvertebrates samples were also collected. The results of this investigation will be presented in the WATERS of Jefferson County: July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001 Report and the next Synthe-sis Report.

3.1.5 TRACKING CHANGES IN WATER QUALITY A minimum of five years of data from the ambient monitoring sites will be required to analyze water quality trends. The trend analysis will be available in 2003 or 2004. How-ever, MSD anticipates that over the next decade, trends for those constituents related di-rectly to SSOs and storm water impacts will begin to decline. The water quality data collected during the reporting period will be compared with previ-ous violations (dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pH) to determine if the higher resolu-tion yields more violations.

3.1.6 MS4 PROGRAM – CO-PERMITTEES There are four co-permittees in the Harrods Creek Watershed that are responsible for ful-filling the requirements of the MS4 Permit (see Figure 19 on the following page). The co-permittees include:

• City of Prospect • Jefferson County

• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Dis-trict Five

• MSD


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Following are highlights from the co-permittees’ MS4 Programs. Refer to Appendix III for a complete listing of co-permittee MS4 activities.

3.1.6.1 City of Prospect The City of Prospect is a fourth-class City occupying approximately 3.9 square miles in the northeast corner of Jefferson County. The population of Prospect is approximately 5,000 residents. Propsect contains 16.7 miles of streams and spans across portions of the Harrods Creek, Goose Creek, and Ohio River Watersheds (see Figure 20 on the following page).

The sections below describe Prospect’s MS4 Permit activities over the reporting period. Illicit Discharge Program, Prospect MSD performs the Illicit Discharge Program activities for Prospect under the interlocal agreement. Construction Site Runoff Controls, Prospect Prospect has an ordinance in place to control construction site runoff that is similar to the Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (EPSC) Ordinance that will be effective in January 2001. To ensure construction sites comply with the City’s current ordinance,

Figure 19. Co-Permittee Locations


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police officers inspect the construc-tion sites weekly for violations and the City Administrator is authorized to issue stop work orders for viola-tions. In addition, the City requires bonds for all construction projects to cover costs of clean up and final drainage grading. The bonds are not released until the City Engineer inspects and approves the site. Prospect will comply with the new EPSC Ordinance when effective and will continue to maintain any ele-ments of the current ordinance if these elements are more stringent than the new EPSC Ordinance. The City Administrator and City Engineer attended a general seminar regarding the new EPSC Ordinance and will continue to attend training activities. Post Construction Controls, Prospect The City has undertaken the following activities to provide water quality protection and water quantity control:

• Prospect passed legislation that prohibits new construction of front yard pavement parking pads in order to maximize green space. This initiative will help prevent expansion of impervious areas, which increase quantities of storm water runoff.

• Next year, Prospect will investigate additional initiatives to help preserve water quality. These new initiatives include requiring residents to divert downspouts into yards to filter runoff, requiring restaurants to cover their dumpsters, and sten-ciling or stamping catch basins with the phrase “Dump No Waste, Drains To Stream.”

Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention, Prospect The following items describe Prospect’s Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention pro-cedures:

• Street maintenance work is not performed during wet weather and silt control is used around catch basins.

• Street sweeping is performed by contract on an as-needed basis and the debris is landfilled. However, streets are swept frequently during high salt use periods. Construction contractors are responsible for sweeping construction areas.

• Catch basins are inspected on a regular basis and after large storms. These catch basins are cleaned manually as needed and the debris is landfilled.

HARRODS CREEK

CITY OF PROSPECTOHIO RIVER

U S

HIG

HW

AY 4

2

I 265 I 71

Figure 20. The City of Prospect


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• Storm sewers are cleaned annually in the fall and more often if necessary. The storm sewers are flushed and debris is collected downstream with straw bales.

• Channel maintenance is performed on an as-needed basis. Leaves are manually removed from channels and straw bales are used when it is necessary to remove silt from the channel.

• The City calibrates salt spreaders annually. Salt is stored in a covered area and prewetted with calcium chloride.

• Prospect fertilizes trees and sprays the trees for bagworms. • An outside contractor collects municipal waste, yard waste, and recyclables

weekly. Public Education/Outreach Programs, Prospect Public education takes place through both the City of Prospect’s website, www.prospectky.com, and the monthly newsletter. The website includes information on recycling, garbage pick-up, and joining the Louisville and Jefferson County Information Consortium (LOJIC). The monthly newsletter includes information on recycling and leaf pick-up. The City plans to include a discussion on mosquito control and herbi-cides/pesticides in the newsletter. Monitoring, Prospect The Monitoring activities are performed by MSD under the interlocal agreement. Reporting, Prospect The Reporting activities are performed by MSD under the interlocal agreement. MS4 Related Costs, Prospect Table 20 summarizes Prospect’s MS4 Permit costs for the reporting period and projected costs for the next three years in the Harrods Creek Watershed. Table 20. Prospect MS4 Permit Related Cost for July 1999 – June 2003, Harrods Creek Watershed

MS4 Program July 1999 – June 2000

July 2000 – June 2001

July 2001 –June 2002

July 2002 – June 2003

City of Prospect $37,000 $37,100 $37,400 $37,800 Prospect’s costs are estimated based on MS4 related components of its total budget. The reporting period MS4 Permit costs were used to estimate projected costs for the next three years. Prospect’s MS4 Permit costs represent activities related to Construction Site Runoff Controls, Post Construction Controls, Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention, Public Education/Outreach Program, and the interlocal agreement fee. Prospect’s MS4 costs in the Harrods Creek Watershed represent the total MS4 costs, since the majority of Prospect is located within this watershed.

http://www.prospectky.com/


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3.1.6.2 Jefferson County Chartered in 1780 (in what was then Virginia), Jefferson County covers approximately 398 square miles in central Kentucky along the Ohio River. With a current population of over 675,000, Jefferson County contains ap-proximately 1,427 miles of streams and is located in portions of all eleven Jefferson County Watersheds (see Figure 21).

Jefferson County’s MS4 Permit activities over the reporting period are described below. Illicit Discharge Program, Jefferson County MSD performs the Illicit Dis-charge Program activities for Jefferson County as an agency representing the City of Lou-isville and Jefferson County. The 2000 Student Outfall Pro-gram, conducted as part of the Illicit Discharge Program, in-volved a teacher and students from Valley Magnet Career Academy, located in south-western Jefferson County. Construction Site Runoff Controls, Jefferson County The City of Louisville and Jefferson County adopted the EPSC Ordinance in November 2000 and it will be effective in January 2001. Jefferson County and the City of Louis-ville are also revising the Louisville and Jefferson County Zoning Regulations. These revisions will include items such as buffering and open space requirements. To date, Jefferson County employees have not attended formal EPSC training. Jefferson County plans to send Ordinance enforcement employees (both actual enforcement and referral of violating conditions) to training. Post Construction Controls, Jefferson County Jefferson County has undertaken the following activities to provide water quality protec-tion and water quantity control:

• Norton Commons is a proposed 600-acre traditional village development located near KY 22 and Chamberlain Lane in the Harrods Creek Watershed. The first phase of the project is still under design and construction is expected to begin in

Figure 21. Jefferson County


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summer 2001. When completed, the development will include 2,900 dwellings, churches, schools, and up to 560,000 square feet of commercial and office space. Two "traditional villages" and a lower density "hamlet" have been planned by Andres Duany, a nationally known town planner, and architect. The villages will be compact and walkable, and a 155-acre system of parks, open spaces, squares and greens will connect the villages and hamlet and provide an appropriate transi-tion to surrounding neighborhoods.

Several initiatives are also being undertaken to ensure not only that storm water runoff is handled in a responsible and sustainable manner, but also that on and off-site streams, springs, seeps and aquatic and terrestrial habitats are protected. These initiatives include Best Management Practices (BMPs) devoted to water quantity and water quality issues and include the following:

! The site has been a working farm for a number of decades and is generally

devoid of any developing or mature woodlands. A reforestation plan is being developed to create an interconnected system of woodlands and wildlife habi-tat to reduce storm water runoff and improve water quality.

! A system of environmental guidelines is being developed to address a broad range of subjects including the use of pesticides and fertilizers, landscape maintenance, on-site waste management, "green builder" programs, and ero-sion control. These guidelines will be applicable to both builders and home-owners.

! Several methods will also be utilized to reduce runoff from the development’s roads and parking lots. The system of planned thoroughfares incorporates up-dated design standards for roads that reduce the amount of impervious surface as compared with more typical suburban developments. Another method is to incorporate, where practical, pervious pavement within the parking lots of commercial uses within the village centers and for civic uses that may be lo-cated throughout the development.

! The first 1.0 inch of runoff from the impervious areas of the development's streets will be collected and retained on-site in bioretention facilities. These facilities include created wetlands, special roadside swales, and underground exfiltration systems. This will replenish the groundwater supply for local springs and improve the quality of storm water discharged to local streams.

! The first 0.5 inch of runoff from all other types of impervious surfaces within the project will be collected and permanently retained on site. A menu of site planning, lot grading, and water harvesting techniques is being developed as methods for storage, recharge and reuse of this storm water runoff.

Finally, the Norton Commons developer is implementing an extensive water qual-ity monitoring program. The objective of this program is to evaluate the effec-tiveness of the practices mentioned above on water quality and biohabitat within


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local streams and wetlands, and to make permit adjustments in order to fulfill the environmental goals for this project.

• Jefferson County developed a tree preservation program during 1999. Trees are

designated for preservation either in two categories; temporary policy or perma-nent “woodland protection” policy. The temporary tree preservation policy pro-tects trees during construction, while the permanent “woodland protection” policy protects trees for the lifespan of the tree. This becomes a deed with restriction for the property.

Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention, Jefferson County The following items describe Jefferson County’s Good Housekeeping/Pollution Preven-tion procedures.

• Street maintenance is performed on an as-needed basis. • Jefferson County uses a vacuum street sweeping machine on an as-needed basis.

The debris is landfilled. • Jefferson County calibrates salt spreaders annually. Salt is stored in a covered

area and prewetted with calcium chloride. Truck drivers receive annual training from the Jefferson County Public Works Department.

• Jefferson County uses Round-Up® and other herbicides and pesticides. Opera-tors are licensed by the State of Kentucky.

• Jefferson County has contracted weekly garbage and yard waste pickup. Hazard-ous waste pickup is also done by contract. In addition, Jefferson County provides curbside recycling and there are six drop-off centers that accept recyclables.

Public Education/Outreach Programs, Jefferson County Jefferson County’s website, www.jefferson.ky.us, addresses recycling issues and has the Operations Manual for Snow and Ice Removal.

Monitoring, Jefferson County MSD performs the Monitoring activities for Jefferson County as an agency representing the City of Louisville and Jefferson County. Reporting, Jefferson County MSD performs Reporting activities for Jefferson County as an agency representing the City of Louisville and Jefferson County. MS4 Related Costs, Jefferson County Table 21 summarizes Jefferson County’s MS4 Permit costs for the reporting period and projected costs for the next three years in the Harrods Creek Watershed.

http://www.jefferson.ky.us/


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Table 21. Jefferson County MS4 Permit Related Cost for July 1999 – June 2003, Har-rods Creek Watershed


July 2000 – June 2001


July 2002 – June 2003

Jefferson County $8,600 $10,200 $10,300 $11,400 Jefferson County estimated MS4 Permit costs based on MS4 related components of its total budget. Jefferson County’s MS4 Permit costs represent activities related to Con-struction Site Runoff Controls, Post Construction Controls, Good Housekeep-ing/Pollution Prevention, and the Public Education/Outreach Program. Budget informa-tion was provided from Planning Review Services. MS4 related activities from the Main-tenance Department were not available at print time. The reporting period MS4 Permit costs were used to estimate projected costs for the next three years. Jefferson County’s MS4 costs in the Harrods Creek Watershed represent a percentage of the total MS4 costs based upon the percentage of stream miles within this watershed.

3.1.6.3 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, District Five Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, District Five (KYTC) is re-sponsible for maintaining state roads within Jefferson, Bullitt, Franklin, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble Coun-ties. KYTC’s Jefferson County service area includes approxi-mately 468 miles of state roads and spans across portions of all eleven Jefferson County Watersheds. The sections below describe KYTC’s MS4 Permit activities over the reporting period.

Illicit Discharge Program, KYTC MSD performs the Illicit Discharge Program activities for KYTC under the interlocal agreement. Construction Site Runoff Controls, KYTC KYTC requires construction projects to have an EPSC plan, which is reviewed by the Division of Water. BMPs must be incorporated into construction plans for “grade and drain” projects. Prior to the start of construction, KYTC’s project engineer and the con-tractor are required to sign an agreement regarding the particular BMPs that will be in-cluded on the construction site. To ensure that construction sites comply with the EPSC plan, KYTC has inspectors on site at “grade and drain” projects over 90% of the time. BMPs are inspected weekly and after rain events of certain intensities. KYTC has between 30 and 40 full-time inspectors assigned to Jefferson County and brings in additional inspectors from surrounding coun-ties when needed.


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KYTC maintenance personnel received four hours of instruction during the past year on BMPs. The training concentrated on KYTC’s new BMP manual entitled “Best Manage-ment Practices for Maintenance Activities in and around Streams.” Topics covered in this manual include:

• Seeding and mulching disturbed areas located near streams. • Minimizing the length and steepness of slopes on construction sites. • Using sediment barriers, such as staked hay bales and silt fences. • Prohibiting bulldozers from performing work within the confines of stream chan-

nels. • Requiring work in streams to be performed during low flow conditions when pos-

sible. KYTC has indicated that it will be exempt from the Louisville and Jefferson County EPSC Ordinance that will be effective in January 2001 because the KDOW reviews their plans. Post Construction Controls, KYTC KYTC’s Post Construction Control activities took place in the Pond Creek and Mill Creek Watersheds. Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention, KYTC The following items describe KYTC’s Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention proce-dures:

• State road and interstate maintenance is performed on a schedule and as needed. Maintenance personnel received four hours of training regarding BMPs.

• KYTC sweeps state roads outside of the City of Louisville boundaries on an as-needed basis using a state owned sweeper. KYTC dedicates approximately 1,200 hours per year for sweeping state roads, or approximately 400 street miles per year. KYTC contracts out interstate sweeping work. The contract provides for 95 miles of interstate to be swept in Jefferson County: 37 miles are swept six times per year, 45.5 miles are swept 12 times per year, and 12.5 miles are swept 18 times per year. The debris is landfilled.

• KYTC uses a contractor to clean catch basins manually or with a vacuum in two cycles per year. KYTC crews also perform cleaning on an as-needed basis. The debris is landfilled.

• KYTC uses a contractor to clean storm sewers using a vacuum. The debris is landfilled.

• KYTC maintains channels on a regular basis. The debris is landfilled.


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• KYTC calibrates salt spreaders annually and stores salt in covered areas. Salt is prewetted with liquid calcium chloride and brine was used to reduce the total amount of salt and calcium chloride required. KYTC provides annual “Sensible Salting” training for all contract salt truck drivers and all new KYTC drivers.

• KYTC distributes guidance documents on herbicide and pesticide application to their maintenance department and certifies their agronomic crews annually. All guardrails and concrete or asphalt medians are sprayed twice a year.

Public Education/Outreach Programs, KYTC KYTC’s website, www.kytc.state.ky.us, has “Adopt-A-Highway” information for groups interested in adopting a stretch of highway. KYTC provides safety vests, garbage bags, and signs for groups in this program. KYTC sponsors a “Keep Kentucky Clean, Don’t Litter” poster contest for grade school and high school students each year. The winning posters are printed in an annual “Adopt-A-Highway” calendar. KYTC sold environmentally oriented t-shirts during Earth Day. The proceeds from the sales were used to cover the cost of the t-shirts and to help raise awareness on Earth Day. KYTC provides internal training for its employees as outlined in the above sections. Monitoring, KYTC MSD performs Monitoring activities for KYTC under the interlocal agreement. Reporting, KYTC MSD performs Reporting activities for KYTC under the interlocal agreement. MS4 Related Costs, KYTC Table 22 summarizes KYTC’s MS4 Permit costs for the reporting period and projected costs for the next three years in the Harrods Creek Watershed. Table 22. KYTC MS4 Permit Related Cost for July 1999 – June 2003, Harrods Creek Watershed


July 2000 – June 2001


July 2002 – June 2003

KYTC $112,900 $117,400 $122,100 $127,000 KYTC estimated MS4 Permit costs based on MS4 related components of its total budget. KYTC’s MS4 costs represent activities related to Construction Site Runoff Controls, Post Construction Controls, Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention, Public Educa-tion/Outreach Program, and the interlocal agreement fee. The reporting period MS4 Permit costs were used to estimate projected costs for the next three years. KYTC’s MS4

http://www.jefferson.ky.us/

http://www.kytc.state.ky.us/


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costs in the Harrods Creek Watershed represent a percentage of the total MS4 costs based upon the percentage of area within this watershed.

3.1.6.4 MSD MSD maintains the MS4 in the City of Louisville and Jefferson County. MSD’s service area does not include the MS4 systems within the Cities of Anchorage, Jeffersontown, Prospect, St. Mat-thews, and Shively. The service area contains 1,835 miles of

streams and is located in all eleven Jefferson County Watersheds. MSD is responsible for 37 miles of streams in the Harrods Creek Watershed. MSD’s activities in the Harrods Creek Watershed that fulfill elements of the MS4 Permit are described below. Illicit Discharge Program, MSD Illicit Discharge Program activities took place during the reporting period in the South Fork of Beargrass Creek, Cedar Creek, and Floyds Fork Watersheds. Construction Site Runoff Controls, MSD The EPSC Ordinance was approved by Jefferson County Fiscal Court in November 2000 and will be effective in January 2001. A copy of the approved EPSC Ordinance is lo-cated in Appendix IV. MSD held EPSC training sessions for Designers, Planners, Developers, and Operators:

• EPSC Design Training took place in November 1999. MSD Area Team mem-bers, Plan Reviewers, Customer Specialists, and Inspectors attended the training.

• The EPSC Design and Construction Seminar took place in January 2000. The seminar was open to the public.

• Plan Review Training took place in May 2000. The training was for MSD em-ployees and emphasized the design of sediment basins.

• EPSC training modules are in place and are being scheduled. Guidance materials are being prepared and will be distributed at these training sessions.

MSD continues to inspect construction sites for EPSC plan compliance. MSD is using a coaching process during the inspections to familiarize inspectors and contractors with the Ordinance. In the coaching process, a MSD inspector is paired with a MSD EPSC trainer to discuss EPSC issues at the site with the contractor. MSD is establishing EPSC General Permits for:

• City of Anchorage • City of Jeffersontown

• City of Prospect • City of Shively


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• City of St. Matthews • City of Louisville • Jefferson County • KYTC • BellSouth • Insight Communications • Jefferson County Public Schools • LG&E

• Louisville Water Company • Louisville and Jefferson County

Parks Department • SuperView of Louisville • United States Postal Service

The EPSC General Permits will be customized for each recipient and cover their general maintenance and earth moving activities. The purpose of the EPSC General Permits is to allow the recipients to perform everyday work without applying for an individual permit for each earth moving activity. Post Construction Controls, MSD MSD conducted the following activities over the reporting period that fulfill requirements of the Post Construction Controls component of the MS4 Permit:

• Catch Basin Design – A new catch basin specification is be-ing added into MSD’s Standard Specifications. It will read “Dump No Waste; Drains To Stream” and could include an outline of a fish stamped on catch basin covers. This will become standard on new catch basins on March 1, 2001 (see Figure 22).

• The Upper River Road Multi-

Use Trail – This greenway be-gins at the Louisville Water Towers on Zorn Avenue and River Road and goes to Hays-Kennedy Park. The greenway connects many of the County’s most significant landscapes, including Carrie Gaulbert Cox Park, River Fields Nature Preserve, Louisville Boat Club, and Harrods Creek Marina. Phase One of this project is underway.

Figure 22. New MSD Catch Basin Design


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Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention, MSD The following items describe MSD’s Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention proce-dures:

• MSD cleaned approximately 20,900 catch basins during the reporting period and anticipates to clean approximately 35,000 to 40,000 catch basins in the next re-porting period. Maintenance services are performed as a routine practice on catch basins. Catch basins are cleaned using an auger or a bucket and are occasionally cleaned by hand. The debris is landfilled.

• MSD handles an average of 3,600 storm sewer cleaning work orders a year.

Storm sewers are flushed and the debris is vacuumed prior to entering the stream. The debris is landfilled.

• No channels were dredged for silt removal within the reporting period. • MSD assists Jefferson County with salt application on streets on an as-needed ba-

sis. MSD’s salt spreaders are calibrated annually and drivers receive annual train-ing on salt application. The County determines the amount of salt to be used dur-ing each application.

• MSD does not use herbicides and pesticides on a regular basis. Herbicides and

pesticides are only used when conditions are unsafe to remove items by hand. • MSD continues its internal recycling program. In addition, MSD provides the

public with locations and hours of recycling drop-off program via MSD’s website and billing inserts.

Public Education/Outreach Program, MSD MSD participated in the following activities over the reporting period that fulfill require-ments of the Public Education/Outreach Program component of the MS4 Permit:

• Pamphlets – MSD’s Reclaiming the Health and Value of Our Streams is a pam-phlet that has been distributed during the reporting period, which educates the public and promotes clean water and a green environment for the community.

• Billing Inserts – Billing inserts are provided for residential, commercial, and in-

dustrial customers. These inserts include information regarding water quality, water conservation, drainage improvements, and current projects.

• Newsletters – MSD newsletters are prepared for over forty neighborhoods each

year. These newsletters include information regarding water quality improve-ments occurring through sanitary sewer projects, drainage projects, the number of


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package treatment plants eliminated, and the number of customers taken off septic tanks.

• MS4 Stakeholders Group – MSD completed a yearlong series of meetings with

the MS4 Stakeholders Group that represented MSD’s and the co-permittees’ ser-vice areas. The goal of the Stakeholders Group was to have community involve-ment on decisions that will correct or address water quality issues. Stakeholders throughout Jefferson County were invited to discuss a variety of water quality topics. The Stakeholders Group recommended that a Watershed Advisory Group be formed in the Goose Creek Watershed as a pilot group. If this pilot group is successful, Watershed Advisory Groups will be formed for every watershed within Jefferson County.

• Operation Brightside Program – MSD finances an "Operation Brightside Pro-

gram,” which teaches elementary and secondary school children about environ-mental issues.

• Website – MSD’s website, www.msdlouky.org, contains water quality informa-

tion including the Water Quality Report, Project XL, the status of water quality by watershed, Stream Monitoring Program, Greenways Program, No Mow Zones, and stream restoration.

• External Training/Education – Over 50 presentations, training sessions, newspa-

per articles, and other forms of public education were given countywide on the following topics: MS4 Permit, macroinvertebrate training, sampling methods, revegetation efforts and special tree needs, fish kill and pond problems, WEFTEC abstracts, Watershed 2000 abstracts, Kentucky Water Resources Symposium ab-stracts, wet weather permitting, the Synthesis Report, general water quality, BMPs, pesticides and herbicides, habitat assessment, and stream restoration.

• Earth Day – MSD had a booth at the Louisville Zoo for Earth Day 2000 to draw

attention to the status of water quality in Jefferson County streams. The booth was lined with shopping carts and tires that had been pulled out of streams. Booth visitors were provided a copy of the Water Quality Report to educate them on the quality of water within each watershed.

• Newspaper Articles – Newspaper articles detailing the Water Quality Report were

published in the Courier Journal around Earth Day. The articles appeared on the front page of the paper and the front page of each neighborhood section.

• Volunteer Monitoring Support – MSD employees participate in the Salt River

Watershed Watch monitoring and gave presentations on water quality issues and macroinvertebrates to the volunteer monitors. MSD spent $6,000 on the program in addition to providing 90 pH kits, 90 dissolved oxygen kits, meter sticks, ther-


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mometers, tubs, nets, pens, and 360 sample bottles. Additionally, MSD continues to provide guidance as science advisor for the data that is collected.

• Internal Training – Internal training topics included the MS4 Permit, the EPSC

Ordinance, ECO Process, stream sampling process, the Synthesis Report, BMPs, and wetlands delineation. Approximately 12 training sessions were conducted.

• Co-Permittee Meetings – MSD held three quarterly meetings with the co-

permittees to discuss the MS4 Permit and water quality issues. During the reporting period, MSD also participated in the following activities related to the Public Education/Outreach Program component of the MS4 Permit:

• ECO Process – The Environmental/Constructability Overview (ECO) Process was implemented in spring 1999. The Environmental Team reviews all sanitary sewer and drainage projects proposed for the current year. Team involvement be-gins with a field review of the proposed project, which consists of locating and identifying potential environmental concerns within the boundaries of the pro-posed project (see Figure 23). The Environmental Team also participates in preliminary and final de-sign plan review to en-sure that their recom-mendations were incor-porated correctly into the design plans. The ECO Process ensures that en-vironmental issues are addressed in the project design phase and results in greater environmental sensitivity. During the reporting period, two projects were reviewed using the ECO Process in the Harrods Creek Watershed.

• “State of Affairs” Interview – WFPL Radio Station broadcast a program, “State of

Affairs,” on the status of water quality in Jefferson County. The broadcast coin-cided with Earth Day. Gordon Garner, MSD’s Executive Director; Bruce Scott, President of the Friends of Beargrass Creek; and David Wicks from Jefferson County Public Schools were interviewed. This interview focused on MSD’s Wa-

Figure 23. ECO Mapping


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ter Quality Report and the status of water quality in Jefferson County streams. Specific issues discussed during this interview included:

! MSD’s program to eliminate CSOs and SSOs throughout Jefferson County ! The elimination of package wastewater treatment plants ! The CDS unit installed at CSO 108 off Newburg Road ! The EPSC Ordinance ! The impact of sediment on Jefferson County streams Residents were encouraged to become familiar with the streams in Jefferson County and to take steps to improve water quality. Residents were also encour-aged to maintain their septic systems, disconnect sump pumps from sanitary sew-ers, and clean up pet waste.

• NPDES Environmental Noncompliance Notification Project, An USEPA

EMPACT Project – United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and MSD held several meetings regarding the technology transfer from an Envi-ronmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) project from the tri-City area of Houston, Galveston, and Brazoria, Texas to Lou-isville, Kentucky. The objective of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Environmental Noncompliance Notification Project is to notify the public of any 24-hour noncompliance with the NPDES permitting program of the Clean Water Act. A second objective is to explain the environmental and heath significance of this noncompliance so that community residents can make educated decisions on the use of local water resources. MSD is interested in in-corporating the public outreach, education, and the risk communication compo-nents from this project into MSD’s wet weather program.

Monitoring, MSD MSD conducted the following activity over the reporting period that fulfill requirements of the Monitoring component of the MS4 Permit:

• Ambient Monitoring – MSD has one long-term monitoring location in the Harrods Creek Watershed as part of their ambient monitoring program (see Table 23). The location has a minimonitor and a United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream flow gauge, which operate continuous node-collectors. Data is recorded at intervals of 15 minutes, 24 hours per day. Fish, algae, and macroinvertebrates are monitored at each minimonitor location at less frequent intervals.

Table 23. Monitoring Locations –Harrods Creek Watershed

MS4 Related Monitoring • Harrods Creek at Covered Bridge

In 1999, the ambient monitoring site in Harrods Creek Watershed was moved


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from the Hunting Creek Subdivision to Covered Bridge, which is just upstream from Jefferson County in Oldham County. The Covered Bridge site was selected so would be good data on flow and pollutant loads entering Jefferson County from upstream counties. Water quality data collected during the reporting period is being analyzed. The results of the analysis will be presented in the WATERS of Jefferson County: July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001 Report and in the next Synthesis Report.

Reporting, MSD MSD conducted the following activities over the reporting period that fulfill requirements of the Reporting component of the MS4 Permit:

• Annual Report and ArcView Application – This document serves as the annual re-port that covers the MS4 Permit activities in Jefferson County. MSD compiled the report from information provided by the co-permittees, including MSD. This document includes the ArcView applica-tion located on the CD in Appendix I.

• Water Quality Report – MSD released a

Water Quality Report entitled Our Streams are Dying in April 2000. This release was timed to coincide with Earth Day. The report is intended to provide the public with a basic understanding of the water quality issues affecting each watershed in Jefferson County (see Figure 24).

Additional Projects to Enhance Water Quality MSD conducted the following sanitary projects during the reporting period that are not required by the MS4 Permit but enhance water quality:

• Sanitary Projects – In the Harrods Creek Watershed, there are 11 sanitary pro-jects ongoing or planned that will provide an additional 48,100 linear feet of sewer, eliminate five small wastewater treatment plants and four pump stations, upgrade two existing wastewater treatment plants, and provide sanitary sewer ser-vice for approximately 300 customers. For more detailed information on these sanitary projects, refer to MSD’s Wastewater and Operations Capital Program binder.

Figure 24. Water Quality Report


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Planning, MSD In addition to ongoing efforts, MSD is planning several activities during the next three reporting periods (July 2000 – June 2003) that fulfill requirements of the MS4 Permit. Highlights of the planned activities include:

• Illicit Discharge Program ! Continue the Student Outfall Program and contaminated outfall follow-up

program. ! Continue to develop the database/case tracking system. ! Provide Wastewater Discharge Regulation (WDR) training for co-permittees.

• Construction Site Runoff Controls

! Finalize EPSC General Permits. ! Proceed with EPSC Ordinance training. ! Finalize EPSC guidance materials.

• Post Construction Controls ! Develop a storm water BMP manual to aid designers in the BMP choices for a

given set of circumstances. ! Research locations for possible BMPs. ! Help initiate greenways development throughout Jefferson County. ! Expand the use of the Water Quality Evaluation Tool to other watersheds. ! Cast the phrase “Dump No Waste; Drains To Stream” on all new catch basins

and storm sewer manholes. Permanent stickers with the same phrase could be placed on existing catch basins and storm sewer manholes.

• Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention

! Incorporate additional BMPs into good housekeeping activities. ! Train maintenance and plan review personnel on MS4 Permit requirements.

• Public Education/Outreach Programs

! Develop and implement a comprehensive Strategic Education Plan. ! Assist in developing watershed groups in each watershed. ! Continue current education efforts. ! Education of typical types of BMPs.

• Monitoring

! Maintain an aggressive monitoring program for continuous and discrete physical and chemical parameters, and a biological monitoring program for macroinvertebrates, fish, and algae.

! Develop new monitoring efforts to delineate point and non-point source pollu-tion.

! Initiate land use characterization analysis. ! Continue wet weather data collection efforts.


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• Reporting ! Provide annual updates of the WATERS Report and ArcView application. ! Develop another water quality report to aid in public education. ! Provide water quality data from the ambient monitoring sites in a Data Re-

port. ! Provide a new Synthesis Report, which analyzes 1998 – fall 2000 data.

MS4 Related Costs, MSD Table 24 summarizes MSD’s MS4 Permit costs for the reporting period and projected costs for the next three years in the Harrods Creek Watershed. Table 24. MSD MS4 Permit Related Costs for July 1999 – June 2003, Harrods Creek Watershed


July 2000 – June 2001


July 2002 – June 2003

Illicit Discharge Program $0 $200 $0 $0 Construction Site Runoff Controls $18,800 $20,000 $20,900 $21,900 Post Construction Controls $3,500 $3,100 $3,100 $3,200 Good Housekeeping/Pollution Prevention $23,800 $28,700 $29,000 $30,600 Public Education $800 $800 $800 $800 Monitoring $13,500 $14,600 $15,300 $16,100 Reporting $1,600 $1,700 $1,300 $1,100

MS4 Sub-Total $62,000 $69,100 $70,400 $73,700 Drainage Projects $0 $0 $0 $0Sanitary Projects $297,400 $2,605,900 $10,021,800 $12,731,100

Total* (see page 126) $3,594,000 $2,675,000 $10,092,200 $12,804,800 MSD’s costs are tracked by permit component and the reporting-period costs were used to estimate projected costs for the next three years. MS4 Program Costs in the Harrods Creek Watershed represent a percentage of the total MS4 costs based upon the percentage of stream miles within this watershed. Drainage project (major projects only) and sani-tary project costs are based upon the percentage of project area within this watershed.

3.1.6.5 Stakeholders Over the past year, groups other than co-permittees have participated in activities that improve water quality. The following organizations/agencies performed countywide ac-tivities and are summarized in Section 2.1.3.8:

• Farm Bureau Federation • FEMA Community Rating

System • Girl Scouts • Health Department • Jefferson County Environmental

Trust (JCET)

• Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

• Jefferson County Waste Management Program

• Kentucky Division of Forestry


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• Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA)

• Kentucky Fish and Wildlife • Kentucky Institute for the

Environment and Sustainable Development (KIESD), University of Louisville

• Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA)

• Planning Commission – Cornerstone 2020

• Salt River Watershed Watch • Sierra Club

The following organization performed activities that are watershed specific. River Fields River Fields, a non-profit river conservation organization, has had contin-

ued success as advocates for appropriate development along a 50-mile stretch of the Ohio River between Westport and West Point, Kentucky. As the largest river conservation group on the Ohio River, and the ninth oldest in the United States, River Fields has been able to positively influence development decisions within this 50-mile stretch for nearly 40 years. River Fields set a goal of educating local residents about the im-portance of conservation easements. In Harrods Creek, 400 acres

along Harrods Creek have been designated for conservation. This area is one of Jefferson County’s largest remaining developable tracts of residential land. Working closely with the Kentucky Heritage Council, Jefferson County, and MSD, River Fields plans to re-main a leader in educating the community about conservation strategies.

3.1.7 SSO PROGRAM – MSD SSO Projects MSD conducted the following projects during the reporting period as part of the SSO Program:

• Prospect Flow Monitoring – The purpose of this project is to identify and catego-rize areas of the Prospect collection system by severity of inflow and infiltration (I/I) contribution. These areas will then be either recommended for further study or immediate rehabilitation in future projects. MSD conducted flow monitoring and prepared a detailed flow monitoring report based on the following parame-ters:

! 150,000 linear feet of sewer main in the collection system area. ! Installation of ten flow monitors for a period of 60 days. ! Installation of two rain gauges for a period of 60 days.


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• High School Inflow Source Identification Program – The purpose of this project is to create interest for disadvantaged youth in careers in engineering while collect-ing I/I data for the MSD sanitary sewer collection system. Area high school stu-dents obtain smoke testing, downspout and sump pump connection information on homes within the separate sewer system in the MSD service area to assist the ongoing Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Study (SSES) program.

SSO Planning SSO Project Planning is revised constantly based on the results of ongoing investigations and rehabilitation projects. The following projects are included in the current 5-year plan approved by the MSD Board:

• High School Inflow Source Identification Program – fiscal year 2002 • High School Inflow Source Identification Program – fiscal year 2003 • I/I General Services – fiscal year 2002 • I/I General Services – fiscal year 2003

SSO Education No specific public meetings were held during the reporting period. SSO Related Costs Table 25 summarizes the SSO Program related costs for the reporting period and pro-jected costs for the next three years in the Harrods Creek Watershed. Table 25. SSO Program Related Costs for July 1999 to June 2003 – Harrods Creek Watershed

SSO Program July 1999 – June 2000

July 2000 – June 2001

July 2001 – June 2002

July 2002 – June 2003

Prospect Flow Monitoring $80,732 $0 $0 $0High School Inflow Source Identification Program $9,670 $20,935 $19,700 $19,700Countywide SSO ID Program $0 $31,574 $0 $0Prospect SSES $0 $167,816 $0 $0I/I General Services $58,233 $73,437 $50,200 $40,300

Total* (see page 126) $148,635 $293,762 $69,900 $60,000

3.1.8 COST SUMMARY Tables 26 and 27 summarize the reporting period costs and projected costs for the next three years for the MS4 and SSO Programs in the Harrods Creek Watershed.


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Table 26. Summary MS4 Permit Related Costs for July 1999 – June 2003, Harrods Creek Watershed

Co-Permittee July 1999 – June 2000

July 2000 – June 2001


July 2002 – June 2003

City of Prospect $37,000 $37,100 $37,400 $37,800Jefferson County $8,600 $10,200 $10,300 $11,400Kentucky Transportation Cabinet $112,900 $117,400 $122,100 $127,000MSD’s MS4 Program Costs $62,000 $69,100 $70,400 $73,700

Total* $220,500 $233,800 $240,200 $249,900 Table 27. MSD’s MS4 and SSO Related Costs for July 1999 – June 2003, Harrods Creek Watershed

MSD Programs July 1999 – June 2000

July 2000 – June 2001


July 2002 – June 2003

MSD MS4 Program Costs $62,000 $69,100 $70,400 $73,700 MSD SSO Program Costs $148,635 $293,762 $69,900 $60,000

Total MSD MS4 and SSO Costs* $210,635 $362,862 $140,300 $133,700*MSD program estimates in the next three years are subject to MSD Board approval, and Louisville and Jefferson County approval of bond issues and rate increases.

3.1 HARRODS CREEK

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