Trump's tariffs drive $33 million cost increase for Cincinnati sewer project
The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) says federal trade tariffs and ongoing market uncertainty have added more than $33 million to the cost of a critical sewer infrastructure project at the Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The $319 million project, approved by Hamilton County commissioners in late August, involves construction of a new high-rate treatment pump station designed to handle up to 700 million gallons per day, 91.7 WVXU News reported. The facility is a cornerstone of MSD’s federally mandated sewer system overhaul aimed at reducing combined sewer overflows and ensuring compliance with the Clean Water Act.
According to 91.7 WVXU News, the MSD Director Diana Christy said the project’s heavy reliance on steel, concrete, and imported pump equipment has left it particularly vulnerable to price increases tied to tariffs imposed under the Trump administration. Christy noted that long project timelines and market volatility required the utility to build in significant cost contingencies.
Despite efforts to cut costs by reusing existing infrastructure, MSD determined it was too late in the design phase to make major adjustments. The Ohio EPA and Ohio Water Development Authority are expected to provide loan financing, which will spread repayment over 30 years and soften the impact on ratepayers.
Commission President Denise Driehaus warned that tariff-driven cost increases will strain not only the Mill Creek project but also future infrastructure efforts across the county, from sewer upgrades to roads and bridges. She added that the financial burden of federal trade policies will ultimately fall on the community.
The Mill Creek pump station is scheduled for completion within seven years, forming a key component of Cincinnati’s long-term consent decree with federal regulators.
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