An update on the EPA Consent Decree implementation

On Tuesday the Environmental Quality and Public Works (EQPW) Committee will hear an update from Water Quality Director Charlie Martin on the EPA Consent Decree.

In 2006, Lexington was sued for violation of the Clean Water Act by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Commonwealth of Kentucky for polluting Lexington’s waterways. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement called a Consent Decree, which set a plan for how Lexington had to improve its stormwater and sewer systems.

Originally, the deadline for full compliance with the Consent Decree was December 31, 2026. However, due to delays caused by COVID-19, the city received an extension, with the new deadline being December 31, 2030.

As of July 31 of this year, Lexington has spent a total of $374,554,245 on sewer improvement projects since the Consent Decree was put in place. This is lower than the projected expenses for these projects, which was reported as just above of $460 million.

Some other updates from the presentation include:

• All stormwater and supplemental projects are complete

• Of the 117 capital projects, 76 are complete and 24 are in the construction/design/easement phase

• 86 of 117 identified areas of sewer overflow have been repaired

You can view the presentation slides starting on page three of this packet.

The Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 3rd at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.