Backed Up
A crappy podcast by Cincinnati Public Radio
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 One: Sewers Gonna Sue
Episode transcript available at this link.
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.
A combination of stormwater and raw sewage overflowing into the Mill Creek in May 2024. Credit: Becca Costello.
A combination of stormwater and raw sewage overflowing into the Mill Creek in May 2024. Credit: Becca Costello.
"That's my car," says Cincinnati resident Florence Miller, of the August 2016 front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "It was up to our waist and we were wading through and it's like, if we would have fallen down, we could have drowned."
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 Two: I Now Pronounce You MSD
Episode transript available at this link.
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.
"Rehashing or revisiting 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."
Episode Three: Sh*t Flows Downhill
Episode transcript available at this link.
Next up on the suspect lineup: the rain.
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 retaining wall in North Fairmount patially collapsed in spring 2024 during a storm. Credit: Becca Costello.
A retaining wall in North Fairmount patially collapsed in spring 2024 during a storm. Credit: Becca Costello.
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.
How are residents responding to heavier rains falling on aging infrastructure? And how is MSD responding?
Episode Four: Go With The Flow
Episode transcript available at this link.
Becca and Ella talk about how green infrastructure helps MSD control how much stormwater gets into the combined sewer system – and why MSD can’t fix all of Cincinnati’s stormwater problems.
Credit: MSD.
Credit: MSD.
For decades, Combined Sewer Overflow 5 (CSO 5, above) dumped untreated sewage and stormwater into the Mill Creek during any heavy rain storm. This is how combined sewer systems are designed to operate, by relieving the pressure of overwhelming flow.
Credit: Becca Costello.
Credit: Becca Costello.
Now, most of that stormwater is diverted here - to a new pipe that carries rain directly to the Mill Creek without mixing with raw sewage first. The Lick Run Greenway project prevents as much as 800 million gallons of combined sewer overflow every year.
Episode Five: Dollars Down The Drain
Episode transcript available at this link.
Except for the occasional state or federal grant, the only source of revenue for the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) is ratepayers.
"The consent decree and the obligations of the consent decree are what looms large over the whole utility," says Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus. "Because it is billions of dollars - and that is tied to rates."
Advocates like Communities United for Action (CUFA) have been asking Hamilton County officials for years to change the MSD rate structure. They say residential customers who use the least amount of water pay more than their fair share - while big businesses are getting discounts.
CUFA volunteers sang "sewer carols" to county commissioners in December 2019.
Episode Six: The Price of Progress
Episode transcript available at this link.
On the final episode of Backed Up: it's the crucial moment in any mystery - the "denouement" to bring together all the clues, rip off the mask and reveal Old Man Jenkins was the real monster all along!
But real life is much more complicated. It's time to stop hunting for the "bad guy" and instead focus on where Cincinnati can go from here.
Backed Up: LIVE
On July 10, 2024, the hosts of 'Backed Up' — Becca Costello & Ella Rowen — concluded their podcast series alongside fans, family, and friends. They shared the program's origin story, discussed their creative process, and enjoyed many wonderful questions from listeners.
Other Ways to Hear Backed Up:
Spotify
Apple
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