Fueling Economic Growth in the Commonwealth

They say “if you build it, they will come”, but building it often requires several moving pieces to fall into place. Louisville Water Company is proud to play a vital role in fueling economic growth across the region

It’s possible you haven’t thought to consider how an abundant supply of clean, reliable water is a driving force in how and where businesses choose to locate.

The announcement in 2022 of Ford’s BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky prompted a historic 50-year agreement between Louisville Water and Hardin County Water District 2. Louisville Water started supplying water to the district in 2013. This deal supports them in meeting the water demands of exponential growth.

New infrastructure is necessary to get the water from Louisville to Glendale. That involves installing new water mains, building a storage tank, and expanding booster pumper stations.

Crews are currently in the first phase of construction in Bullitt County, where they’ve already installed roughly two miles of water main.

“To go from delivering two million gallons of water a day to 11 million gallons daily to Hardin County Water District 2, we will install a little over 32 miles of pipeline basically going from Outer Loop in Louisville to Highway 313 (Joe Prather Highway) in Hardin County,” said Louisville Water Director of Engineering, Jeremy Raney.

Over the next few years, crews will continue working through Bullitt County into Hardin County. This expanded network of pipes not only allows the BlueOval SK project to happen, it will also have long-lasting impacts on Bardstown and the bourbon industry in addition to long-term growth of both Nelson and Hardin counties.

“This series of projects revolutionize this corridor and the capacities that we have available to our wholesale and retail customers along I-65 for generations to come. One of the most impressive aspects in this first phase is that it has been completely designed in house,” explained Louisville Water Director of Engineering, Jeremy Raney.

BlueOval SK anticipates opening sometime in 2025. Phase 1 of Louisville Water’s construction ensures meeting the capacity of the area’s increased water demands while Phase 2 focuses on the larger picture of long-term needs and growth in Hardin County. The entire project should be finished by 2029.