More intense rainstorms and rising electricity prices are pushing the Metropolitan Sewer District’s (MSD) operating costs beyond its budget this year.
Hamilton County commissioners approved an additional $5.8 million for Greater Cincinnati’s wastewater utility Thursday.
The majority of the money, $4.5 million, is for MSD’s sewer backup program. Executive Director Diana Christy says it’s needed to fund the “significant increase” in cleaning services that MSD has provided for properties that experienced sewer backups.
“These unanticipated costs are attributable primarily to the intense rain event that occurred on July 17, 2026, as well as several other large storms that took place between May and August of this year,” Christy said.
MSD received nearly 2,000 calls to its program after the July storms and determined 1,200 properties were eligible for services. That means MSD helped cover the cost of cleanup.
Commissioner Denise Driehaus says it is essential for the county to fund the sewer backup (SBU) program.
“We’ve always pledged that if the SBU program were to run low, we would always provide those dollars to make sure that the citizens have the services they need to remain in their homes, and be safe in their homes, related to these sewer backups,” Driehaus said.
MSD will likely ask the county for a bigger program budget next year as property owners begin submitting claims for damage repairs.
The program has been operating since 2004. It’s part of MSD’s federally mandated sewer system overhaul to bring the utility into compliance with the Clean Water Act.
Ballooning electricity costs
MSD is also expecting to exceed its utility budget due to the increasing cost of electricity. Commissioners approved an additional $1.3 million for that.
MSD says it is one of the biggest users of electric power in Hamilton County, making it particularly sensitive to price increases. In Ohio, that’s been driven by rising electricity demand connected with the proliferation on data centers across the state. MSD planned for a 20% increase in electricity costs this year. Current market trends suggest costs are headed toward a 40% increase.
The additional funding for both the sewer backup program and electricity costs brings MSD’s 2026 operating budget to approximately $262 million.
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