Backed Up
A crappy podcast by Cincinnati Public Radio
Listen to the 'Backed Up' trailer.
There’s something wrong with the plumbing in Cincinnati. Sewage is bubbling up in our basements and pouring into our waterways. Climate change is making it worse, and the powers that be can’t seem to fix it.
Backed Up is a podcast that demystifies one of the most complex systems of public infrastructure — our sewers — and tells the stories of the people suffering under decades of mismanagement.
Join hosts Becca Costello and Ella Rowen as they sort through the bullsh*t to flush out the real sh*t.
Hop in, gang — we’re solving a mystery.
Check out the Backed Up digital exhibit through the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library to explore the history of the Cincinnati sewer system.
Episode 1
Sewers Gonna Sue
It's a mystery in Cincinnati:
Why does untreated sewage sometimes back up in people’s basements and get dumped into waterways like the Ohio River and Mill Creek?
In this episode, Becca and Ella look at what a combined sewer system is, the history of sewer infrastructure in Greater Cincinnati, and the federal consent decree that charges the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati with coming into compliance with the Clean Water Act.
"That's my car," says Cincinnati resident Florence Miller, of the August 2016 front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer, right. "It was up to our waist and we were wading through and it's like, if we would have fallen down, we would have drowned.
"I've never seen anything like that in my life. And I'm in my late 70s."
Get a full transcript and explainers of MSD's myriad acronyms from Episode 1, at this link.
Brick sewer from the 1800s. Courtesy: MSD
Brick sewer from the 1800s. Courtesy: MSD
Muddy Creek sewer repair in the 1970s. Courtesy: MSD
Muddy Creek sewer repair in the 1970s. Courtesy: MSD
Florence's car, underwater after a storm, lands on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer in 2016. Courtesy: CHPL Archives
Florence's car, underwater after a storm, lands on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer in 2016. Courtesy: CHPL Archives
Episode 2
"I now pronounce you MSD"
Now that we know why raw sewage sometimes backs up into basements and overflows in public waterways, why hasn’t it been fixed?
Backed Up examines the first possible villain in this mystery: a political tug of war between city and county officials that began more than 50 years ago.
As if the sewer system isn’t complicated enough, the people in charge have a history of fighting over who gets to call the shots. The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, or MSD, is often stuck in the middle of their political tug of war.
"The whole governance of the MSD is a huge issue," says resident and local environmental advocate Marilyn Wall. "Just simply because there's really nobody in charge when everybody's in charge."
Like MSD, residents are stuck in the middle, too - all the time and money spent fighting over who gets to be in charge is time not spent on the bigger problem.
"Rehashing or revising what has happened in the past does not move the relationship forward," says Judge Michael Barrett. "It is a waste of precious time and rate-payers’ money.”
Find a transcript for Episode 2 at this link.
Episode 3
Sh*t Flows Downhill
Next on the suspect lineup:
The rain.
Flooding in Cincinnati in 1937.
Flooding in Cincinnati in 1937.
Darlene Capell (left) and Renee Martin stand in front of a section of retaining wall that collapsed this spring after decades keeping stormwater away from the North Fairmount Community Center. Credit: Becca Costello
Darlene Capell (left) and Renee Martin stand in front of a section of retaining wall that collapsed this spring after decades keeping stormwater away from the North Fairmount Community Center. Credit: Becca Costello
A rainy day can be quite peaceful, but storm clouds are an ill omen for a city with a combined sewer system like Cincinnati - and has been for decades. Heavy rain is the number one reason our sewer system sometimes overflows into basements and creeks.
A warmer atmosphere due to climate change means Cincinnati has higher rainfall intensity than in the past – that means the same amount of rain falls over a shorter period of time.
The consequences of heavy rain go far beyond overflows from the combined sewer system.
Lifelong North Fairmount resident Darlene Cappel says her hilly neighborhood has always had stormwater problems, but it’s gotten worse over time.
"One resident … lives on this street, but the water comes over Baltimore [Avenue] and pushes his wall and then it floods his basement," Cappel says. "Where the school is – it's called Leap Academy – that's a creek behind there, so when that gets flooded, the water comes down on the street."
How are residents responding to heavier rains falling on aging infrastructure? And how is MSD responding?
"None of us can stop the rain falling from the sky – and it's falling on all of us," says MSD water engineer Reese Johnson.
Find a transcript for Episode 3 at this link.
Episode 4
Go With The Flow
Coming June 26
On the next episode of Backed Up...
Becca and Ella take a look at so-called "green infrastructure" in Cincinnati, like the Lick Run Greenway, and why MSD doesn’t do more to keep stormwater out of the combined sewer system.
Join Us for a special 'Backed Up' event!
Join hosts Becca Costello and Ella Rowen for a conversation and audience Q&A in celebration of the final episode on July 10.
An RSVP is required, and you can find more details here.
Subscribe to Backed Up:
New episodes of Backed Up drop each Wednesday through July 10.
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