Lead Inventory Technical Assistance Program
X
GO
Ben Davis Conservancy District - WWTP Updates

Ben Davis Conservancy District - WWTP Updates

Letter from BDCD

For additional information, please visit: Ben Davis Conservancy District – Reliable and Affordable Sanitary Sewer Service (bdconservancy.com)

 

Citizens Energy Group issued a letter to freeholders throughout the Ben Davis Conservancy District. The district was established in 1958 with the Indiana Conservancy Act to provide sewer service to our community. However, the Conservancy only pipes sewage from properties to a treatment plant owned and operated by Citizens Energy Group.

Citizens Energy Group has raised its rates in recent years with a projected increase of 900% from 2017 to 2025. So when the Conservancy announced that it would build a treatment plant to save money, Citizens responded with a $10 million offer to acquire the Conservancy––amounting to a few thousand dollars per property owner.

The acquisition would cost residents more throughout the years, particularly elderly residents with fixed incomes and low-wage families, as Citizens Energy Group would recover its $10 million investment through rate increases for residents. This is not without evidence. For example, Citizens acquired the sewer system in Westfield as a for-profit company and attempted to raise rates by 25%.

Residents of the Ben Davis community are apprehensive about the offer. In a recent online survey, residents overwhelmingly supported construction 13 to 1. Further, MSD Wayne Township Schools and multiple organizations throughout the community have committed their support, including the Indiana Rural Water Alliance.

The Ben Davis Conservancy District advocates for a treatment plant, promising to control costs for residents. The proposed facility is a 4.0 MGD extended aeration treatment plant with an aerobic sludge digestion process.

Aerobic sludge digestion is a non-chemical process and uses oxygen for treatment. No noxious odors are produced as a result, such as methane or hydrogen sulfide. The plant will discharge into the Neeld Ditch with stringent effluent limits as determined by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

Take Their Survey

They want to know what you think. Should the Ben Davis Conservancy District construct a treatment plant? Use this link to complete the survey: Survey – Ben Davis Conservancy District (bdconservancy.com)

2022 Leadership Summit Recap

2022 Leadership Summit Recap

Monroe County Convention Center - Bloomington, IN

This year's Leadership Summit was on July 27 & 28 in beautiful Bloomington, Indiana.

2022 Operator Expos Recap

2022 Operator Expos Recap

Southern - Huntingburg, IN / Northern - Akron, IN

Our Southern Expo was held on May 19, in Huntingburg, Indiana and our Northern Expo held on May 26, in Akron, Indiana. Both Expos were both big successes!  We had over 250 people in attendance at each!

Alliance Secures 4.1 Million Dollars for Communities to Train the Next Generation

The Alliance of Indiana Rural Water, a local non-profit organization supporting Indiana’s rural water industry, has secured a total of 4.1 million dollars in reimbursement grants from the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) for rural communities across the state to utilize in order to gain more licensed water and wastewater operators.

2022 Spring Conference Recap

2022 Spring Conference Recap

French Lick Resort - French Lick, Indiana

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Spring Conference at the beautiful French Lick Resort in March!

2022 Award Recipients

2022 Award Recipients

The best of the best in the water and wastewater industry were honored at our 2022 Spring Conference.  Each recipient was presented with their award prior to the conference, then recognized throughout the event on a slideshow displaying on the event center's tv monitors throughout the venue! 

2021 Best Tasting Water in Indiana Named!

Auburn Water Department’s Water Named Best Tasting Water in Indiana during State Finals Competition!

Officials at the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water have found the best-tasting water in Indiana.  On October 20th, 2021, Auburn Water Department was announced as the winner of a state-wide competition to identify the tastiest rural water in the state...

2021 Award Recipients

2021 Award Recipients

The best of the best in the water and wastewater industry were honored at our 2021 Spring Conference.  Each recipient was presented with their award prior to the conference, then recognized throughout the event on a slideshow displaying on the event center's tv monitors throughout the venue! 

Conference Attendee Wins Trip to 2022 NRWA WaterPro Conference!

Conference Attendee Wins Trip to 2022 NRWA WaterPro Conference!

The Alliance of Indiana Rural Water teamed up with sponsors Covalen and Midwestern Engineers, Inc. to give away an all inclusive trip for two to the 2022 National Rural Water Association’s WaterPro Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

2021 Water Taste Test Contest

We will be holding four "regional" taste tests in 2021. Winners from each region will advance to compete in the “Best Tasting Water in Indiana” at our annual Fall Conference, October 20th, 2021 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Read more and register... 

RSS
1234
Lead Inventory Technical Assistance Program

Lead Inventory Technical Assistance Program

IFA Sponsored LITAP Program for Small Public Water Systems is Now Open!

Friday, April 7, 2023

Indiana Finance Authority Lead Inventory Technical Assistance Program (office.com)

 

The IFA Sponsored LITAP Program for Small Public Water Systems is Now Open! Attached is a flyer for your use. You can use any mobile device to scan the QR code with your camera or you can use the link shown above to access the form. If you are unsure of whether you are a community or non-transient system, please follow the following rule of thumb. If your PWSID starts with a ‘5’, you are a community system. If you are non-transient (school, factory, daycare), your PWSID will start with a ‘2’. Please read further for an explanation of how you can access our free training and technical assistance. 

 

As you all probably know by now, all community water systems are required to complete and submit a Lead Service Line Inventory to IDEM by October 16, 2024. As a part of helping, the Indiana Finance Authority has provided the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water financial assistance to provide to you, free of charge, training, and onsite technical assistance to achieve compliance with this rule. 

 

This IFA money will be used to assist all community systems up to 1,000 service connections. The official template has been made public via IDEM and 120Water (IDEM’s contractor). What we would like to ask is that when we establish training sites and dates, you seriously consider attending and requesting our assistance. Mobile home parks have unique pros and cons when it comes to documenting what your service line materials are. That is where we come in; we can first provide training, assist in recovering documents, and research property records or any method of verification for your community water system. 

 

We are also sub-contracted with Arcadis to assist with Non-Transient Non-Community systems since they are also mandated to comply with this new rule. Likewise, many of these systems may have unique pros and cons regarding identifying service connection pipe material. Please allow us to assist you in whatever you need so your inventory is properly validated when it comes time to submit it to IDEM.

 

You all should have received information from IDEM or 120Water to join training on the official template and/or how to access the official portal for submitting your inventories. We are working closely with IDEM, 120Water, IFA and Arcadis to help keep you in compliance with these Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and deadlines. 

 

Trainings will be posted on our website along with email notifications for your participation. We foresee several initial trainings with subsequent smaller or individual trainings and assistance.  For us to get to you as soon as possible, I urge you to use the attached flyer or link. It only takes a few minutes. This link will ask you several questions about what you know or have regarding your service line connections. Once completed and submitted, it immediately indicates that you are receptive to our assistance and adds you to our list. It will also assist us in targeting training specifically to your needs. 

 

Please do not ignore this offer of free assistance!  As always, you can contact the Alliance Office with any questions by emailing alliance@inh2o.org or calling (317) 789-4200.

Print
Please login or register to post comments.