Louisville does not have a widespread purple-pipe reclaimed water network. MSD operates regional water-reclamation facilities discharging treated effluent to the Ohio River, while limited recycled water and rainwater-harvesting projects exist as voluntary green-infrastructure pilots rather than ordinance mandates.
Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) treats wastewater at large facilities including Morris Forman, returning treated effluent to the Ohio River under Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) permits. Unlike arid-region cities, Louisville has not built a citywide reclaimed (purple-pipe) distribution system. Some private developments and Metro facilities use rainwater harvesting, condensate reuse, or on-site greywater under plumbing-code variances. New construction wishing to reuse water must coordinate with MSD pretreatment and the Plumbing Code (Ch. 92) to obtain approvals. There is no general mandate to use recycled water for irrigation.
Unauthorized cross-connection between potable and non-potable systems can trigger MSD and LWC enforcement, including service shutoff, plumbing-code citations, and required backflow-prevention installation by a licensed contractor.
See how Louisville's recycled water rules rules stack up against other locations.
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