Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County

Name

Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County

Legal name

Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County

Website

https://msdbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sewer Service Charges: Monthly sewer service fees charged to approximately 59,000 accounts (205,500 residences) and businesses. Customers pay based on sewer usage or flat rates as determined by the district's rates and fees schedule.
2. Industrial Waste Permits and Fees: Fees charged to industrial and food service establishments for permits, inspections, and compliance monitoring under the Industrial Pretreatment Program.
3. Development and Connection Fees: Fees for new sewer service applications, wastewater allocation requests, sewer tap schedules, and developer forms/permits for new construction connections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MSD provides municipal wastewater collection and treatment services across Buncombe and Henderson Counties, North Carolina, through approximately 1,150 miles of public sewer pipes and a 40 MGD wastewater treatment plant serving around 59,000 accounts. Beyond the core conveyance and treatment service, MSD operates an Industrial Pretreatment Program for permitted industrial and commercial users, a Food Establishment Program for grease and FOG management, an Online Permitting System for developers, and an interactive GIS mapping tool for public infrastructure visibility.

Product overview

Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County is a municipal utility operating as a single unified service (not a platform-plus-modules architecture). The organization provides core wastewater collection and treatment services through approximately 1,150 miles of public sewer pipes and a 40 MGD treatment plant, serving 59,000 accounts. Supporting services include an Online Permitting System for developer requests, an Industrial Waste Management Program for permits and oversight, a Food Establishment Program for grease management, Construction Drawings and Technical Specifications for developer compliance, a GIS Mapping System for public access to sewer infrastructure data, an Employment Application System, and Policies/Ordinances governing system usage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wastewater Collection and Treatment Services Municipal wastewater collection through approximately 1,150 miles of public sewer pipes (6"–66" diameter) and approximately 60 miles of interceptor sewers, with treatment at a 40 MGD wastewater reclamation facility. Serves approximately 59,000 accounts (205,500 residences) and businesses across Buncombe and Henderson Counties, North Carolina, with 24/7 emergency response for backups, stoppages, and overflows.
• Industrial Waste Management (Pretreatment) Program Oversight of industrial and commercial waste discharge through permits, self-monitoring reporting systems, slug plans, mercury minimization programs, and enforcement response plans. Covers Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) and other permitted facilities discharging non-domestic wastewater into the public sewer system.
• Food Establishment Program Standards, requirements, and best management practices for food service establishments, including grease trap requirements and oversight of approved grease waste haulers to reduce Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) entering the sewer system.
• Online Permitting System Digital portal for developers, realtors, and property owners to submit sewer service availability requests, applications for non-discharge permits, wastewater allocation requests, sewer service applications, sewer tap schedules, and developer forms/permits for new construction connections.
• Construction Drawings and Technical Specifications Standardized construction drawings (trench details, manholes, pipe specifications, force mains) and technical specifications governing sewer infrastructure construction to MSD public standards for developers and contractors building new sewer lines.
• GIS Mapping System Web-based interactive GIS viewer providing public access to sewer system mapping data, including pipe locations, pump stations, and service area boundaries across the District's service territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Treating 21 million gallons of wastewater per day and returning treated water to the French Broad River with lower bacteria count than the river itself
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte Water: Municipal water and wastewater utility for the City of Charlotte, NC, operating a regional wastewater treatment system serving a large customer base across multiple municipalities. Highly comparable in mission, statutory authority, and customer-mix to MSD of Buncombe County, though at materially larger scale.
• DC Water: District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, a regional wastewater and clean rivers utility with a multi-jurisdictional customer base and large capital improvement program (e.g., DC Clean Rivers). Comparable in statutory authority and operating scope.
• Hampton Roads Sanitation District: Regional wastewater utility serving 18 localities in southeastern Virginia with interceptor sewers and a large treatment plant footprint. Closely comparable regional/multi-jurisdictional operating model, retail-equivalent rate structure, and major capital program scope.
• Metro Water Services (Nashville): Department of Nashville Metro Government providing water, sewer, and stormwater services. Comparable in mission and integrated municipal utility role; larger scale and broader service mix.
• Raleigh Water: Public water and wastewater utility for the City of Raleigh, NC. Comparable as another NC municipal utility providing collection, treatment, and industrial pretreatment services under similar state-law frameworks, serving a comparable mid-sized customer base.
• Trinity River Authority of Texas: Political subdivision of the State of Texas providing regional wastewater treatment and disposal across multiple member cities. Compares directly as a multi-jurisdictional, government-anchored wastewater authority with large interceptor and treatment assets.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District: Regional wastewater authority serving 62 communities in the Cleveland area, organized as a political subdivision with an appointed board. Highly comparable governance and rate-base structure to MSD.

Broad incumbents

• Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America): Multi-state regulated water and wastewater utility with significant wastewater operations across the eastern US. Comparable in wastewater utility economics and capital-intensive operating model; broader portfolio and IOU ownership structure.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility, providing regulated services in multiple states. Comparable in regulated utility model and rate-base financing, but operates as an investor-owned consolidated platform with much broader geographic reach.
• Veolia North America (Water & Wastewater): Operates and maintains municipal and industrial water/wastewater systems across the US under contract. Comparable in core wastewater treatment capability and customer base (municipal/industrial), but as a private operator-companion rather than a utility owner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County