The Northern Kentucky Water District has completed a project at its water treatment plant in Fort Thomas to remove mud that had accumulated there over the last 55 years.
The site has two large reservoirs that serve as water storage for normal operations as well as for emergencies that may disrupt pumping from the Ohio River. Originally built in 1889, the bottom of each reservoir is 50 feet at its deepest point. There have been very few modifications to the reservoirs since they were built.
The district has used different methods to remove mud without taking the reservoir out of service over the years. Several types of dredges were used, but these methods were not able to stay ahead of the amount of mud being brought in from the river.
The district determined that draining the reservoirs and using earth-moving equipment was the best way to clean them, so it contracted with trucking companies to haul the mud. Approximately 6,250 loads of mud were hauled away from the site in dump trucks (about 130,000 tons).
“Each year, NKWD includes in its budget amounts for maintaining and enhancing its facilities,” said Joe Koester, chair of NKWD’s Board of Commissioners. “So that it will continue to provide our customers with safe, clean, reliable water at a reasonable cost for years to come.”
After nearly 24 months of being out of service, the first reservoir is completely clean and is scheduled to be filled this week.
The District plans to begin cleaning the second reservoir early next year. It is anticipated the cleanup process will be shorter in duration and this reservoir will be back in service more quickly.
