Breezy and warm. Sun and a few high clouds.
More moisture in the air
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
MSD says the problem has been a lack of rain.
MSD says the problem has been a lack of rain.
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
Louisville Water crews flushing sewer drains at the corner of Southwestern Parkway and Hale Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. MSD said flushing the drains should help get rid of a sewer smell across the city. (WDRB photo)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Still smelling that stink across Louisville? It may soon be flushed out.
Louisville Water is helping MSD to flush some of those smelly sewer lines using fire hydrants.
Residents all over the city have been complaining about the odor this week. Officials said the problem is the recent lack of rain.
According to MSD, that means there's less water moving in the nearly 70,000 catch basins across the city where water enters and goes into the sewer system. The smells happen most often in areas with aging infrastructure. Officials said the old combined sewer and storm system in the Highlands, NuLu, downtown and the west end.
"We've had a long stretch of dry weather, and a lot of heat ... It's not a good friend of the combined sewer system, and (in) the older parts of the city, there's one large pipe that has sewer water and rain or storm water, and they work together in moderation. So when we've got enough rainwater in there, it pushes that sewer water along a little faster, gets it down to our Morris Forman Water Quality Treatment Center for treatment and release to the Ohio River," said Sheryl Lauder, MSD communications manager. "But when there's too much, we can have a sewer overflow. But when there's too little, then the sewage water doesn't flow as fast so it starts aging, and when it ages it puts off the odor that people find very offense, and a nuisance to say the least"
MSD said sometimes just one gallon of water can clear the trap and take care of the odor. Crews are flushing areas where there have been complaints about the smell.
Louisville Water was planning to test fire hydrants in the west end of the city, where much of Thursday's flushing took place.
MSD said residents who notice the putrid sewer smell in their neighborhoods should call them at (502) 540-6000 or go to their website by clicking here to report the problem.
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