On October 16, Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1) and the Northern Kentucky Water District (NKWD) join more than 1,000 organizations nationwide in recognizing Imagine a Day Without Water — a campaign highlighting how clean drinking water and wastewater systems sustain our region’s health, economy and quality of life.
From coffee shops and hospitals to classrooms and parks, every part of Northern Kentucky depends on reliable water service.
“Safe, sustainable and affordable drinking water is at the heart of everything we do,” said NKWD President and CEO Lindsey Rechtin. “From the first cup of coffee in the morning to the hospitals that care for our families, nothing works without clean, reliable water. It sustains everything we do.”
Water Connects Everything
Here in Northern Kentucky, water flows through every moment of daily life — connecting homes, businesses and communities across three counties.
Water drawn from the Ohio River is treated and delivered by NKWD and other local providers. After it’s used, SD1 takes over, collecting, cleaning and safely returning that same water to the river so the cycle can continue.
“It’s easy to take wastewater services for granted,” said SD1 spokesperson Chris Cole. “But imagine a day without being able to flush a toilet, run a dishwasher or drain your sink. Behind the scenes, field crews, engineers and environmental scientists make sure dirty water leaves our homes safely and is treated before it reaches our environment. That’s what keeps our communities and rivers healthy.”
Projects Making an Impact
SD1’s Lakeview Pump Station and EQ Tank
You’ve likely seen this project rising along I-275 near SD1’s main office. Part of the Clean H2O40 initiative, the Lakeview Pump Station and EQ Tank will prevent 4.25 million gallons of pollution from entering Banklick Creek each year — enough to cover Thomas More Stadium’s baseball field 42 inches deep in sewage.
Instead, that water will be captured, treated and safely returned to the environment — proof of how infrastructure investments protect local waterways.
Learn more about the Lakeview project →
NKWD’s Subdistrict Projects
Just as SD1 is modernizing wastewater and stormwater systems, NKWD continues expanding access to safe drinking water for homes and businesses that previously lacked it.
Over the past 30 years, NKWD has launched 17 Subdistrict Water Main Extension projects, bringing public water service to more than 4,000 customers. Two more — in Kenton County (Subdistrict O) and Campbell County (Subdistrict HB) — are now underway.
When completed, over 98.5% of households in NKWD’s service area will have access to public water, supported by a $9.5 million investment in federal and local funding.
Learn more about NKWD’s projects →
Join the Conversation
Together, SD1 and NKWD are working to ensure Northern Kentuckians never have to imagine a day without clean water.
- Help spread the word about the importance of reliable water systems:
- Share one of our Imagine a Day Without Water campaign images
- Tag @SanitationDist1 and use #ImagineADayWithoutWater
- Visit imagineadaywithoutwater.org to learn more