Storm Water Board Forwards Recommendation to Council

(posted Nov 17)

The Speedway Storm Water Management Board will forward its recommendation to the town council to fund a total storm water and sewer separation project to handle the ten-year, one hour rain storm events.

The project is to correct the sewage from backing into basements from 21st to 16th Street in the Allison Avenue and Gerrard Avenue area during heavy rains.

The ten minute meeting was a culmination of over a year long study to assess the situation. The project is estimated at $2.7 million. Board member Paul Maves also recommended installing a storm sewer on Auburn Street south of 16th Street to discharge into Eagle Creek. He contended it would be a good route to use since the street does not have a sewer line. He also indicated that he was not sure if a detention pond would work because of elevations. The proposed project would use the land that the IMS owns near the American 500 Legion Post to hold the water.

Board President Bill Golay recommended that HNTB make a formal presentation to the council at the November 26 meeting. Golay indicated he would "push" the recommendation to the council because it would be a benefit to the Long Term Control Plan to reduce the amount of storm water entering the waste water treatment plant. The proposed $21.3 million plan requires excess rain water be held in storage tanks for treatment instead of by passing the plant or receiving partial treatment.

Golay also noted that he talked with several other council members about approving a $15,000 expenditure for the street department to clean out the storm drains in the 22nd Street and Crawfordsville Road area to improve the drainage flow. Golay said the council would make a formal vote to expend the money. The street department added more storm inlets in the area earlier this year to provide drainage relief from the Gerrard and 21st Street area. Street Department Commissioner Wendell Walters indicated the storm inlets were not moving the volume of water like they expected it to do because of the debris filled storm lines.

Resident Lucy Tingle said "it (the vote) is long over due. It should have been done earlier." Many residents in the area have had sewage back up into their basements. Tingle said the sewage problem on Gerrard Avenue has been going on for 50 years.

Wanda Smith used the word "excited" to describe her feelings when she watched the board vote in favor of the plan. "This is the first time since 2001 that something might get done. It is an important health issue," she said.

The board is not expected to meet in December.