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MSD

By Terry Gray

MSD wants to raise our drainage/sewage bill by something like 6.5%.  What do you think of that?  The announcement is nothing more than going through the motions. They want our input for some reason that I can’t understand.  If we all call MSD and our Councilmen and say, “No,” to the price hike are they going to forget about it?  Who is going to call and say, “Oh please raise my sewage bill?”  I don’t see that happening.

MSD can’t do its job now.  There are always problems with storm drainage.  Take my backyard, for instance.  It has been a problem since 1995 and on MSD’s record of being a problem.  Not only did they finish a job that they started, in my case, but also they have been and still are in violation of our ordinances.  Who will hold them to the law?

Our city government works hand in hand with MSD.  MSD just received $300,000,000 in bond money.  This is after the $300,000,000 that they got last year and said they wouldn’t need any more money for quite a while.  That $300,000,000 is good enough for a while by whose definition?

MSD has no billing of its own.  Its bill rides on the Louisville Water Company bill.  The Louisville Water Company bills according to metered service.  This means that MSD’s billing is dependent upon the accuracy of the Louisville Water Company.  My neighbor’s van has been sitting over the top of my meter since December 2002.  My meter can’t be read.  The same neighbor’s meter is covered in dirt and grass, yet his meter is out in the open.  It’s obvious to anyone that the meter cover hasn’t been opened in quite some time.

My water bill 18 months ago was around $45 for 2 months.  Now it is around $70.  I’m not using any more water than I did then.  Actually, though, my water bill is only a third of the bill.  MSD is two thirds.  Now I want to know of any company that generates more waste than product.  It isn’t like I’m going to a gas station, drinking gallons of water and then running home to pee.  There is only so much water coming into the house and most of it eventually ends up in the sewer but no more than what comes in.  What am I paying for?

I wrote a letter to The Courier-Journal but never heard back.  I guess they get a few bucks from MSD somehow.  I can’t really call my councilman, because he doesn’t like me.  Which means that I’m not represented at City Hall, but that is another story.

I would suggest that many, many phone calls be made to MSD and your councilman if you don’t want your rates raised.  But like I said, I don’t know what good it will do.  That is really the only course of action unless everybody in the city just refuses to pay his or her sewer bills.  But hey, that won’t happen either.

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