Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Dave Henderson, department head of Warsaw's wastewater utilities, and Brian Houghton, director of Jones and Henry Engineers, Fort Wayne, presented information Thursday regarding Warsaw's sewer systems and combined sewer overflow.
The focus of the wastewater utility meeting was to inform the public of current sewage conditions and to discuss means for improvement.
Both explained that during heavy rainfall or snowmelt, excessive runoff causes areas of the sewer system to flood, creating sewage overflow into secondary systems that then run into Walnut Creek or Tippecanoe River, based on the sewer system involved.
Since the addition of a new wastewater plant, Warsaw has had no overflows in nearly two years. Over the last decade, four overflows were recorded. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management recorded Kosciusko County as a "community with no combined sewer overflow problem."
Henderson and Houghton discussed areas for improvement in the system and stressed that preventative measures were important concerning overflow systems.
"With our current system, we'd have to experience a significant amount of rainfall in a quick period to create an overflow," Houghton said. "Warsaw has not experienced this in recent years, but if this were to happen, we want a system that will handle the overflow problems efficiently."
Focusing on Warsaw's southern sewer system, Houghton said that if a large amount of rainfall were to cause an overflow, the precipitation itself would dilute the unsanitized water that ran into Walnut Creek. The goal is to create a solution inside the overflow system that will prevent all unsanitized runoff into Walnut Creek.
"My main concern is for the individuals who use Walnut Creek as a means for recreation," Henderson said. "We want to allow for safety during any type of weather condition."
The Tippecanoe River also carries Clubshell muscles, which have become part of the endangered species list. Houghton expressed concern that, though the muscles all lie upstream of Warsaw's sewer system, safety precautions must be enforced to protect the species.
Houghton discussed measures to improve the overflow structure. The city could separate older pipes and improve the sewage equipment; however the costs for such an operation exceeds $2 million. Primary treatment in overflow systems and a pump to force the overflow back into the main sewer lines also were mentioned.
At the wastewater utilities previous meeting in July 2003, the same improvement options were discussed, and the overall recommendation was for no change in the overflow system.
The wastewater utility does wish to update its computer models, hoping that in doing so, accurate estimates of how much precipitation will cause an overflow can be documented.
"Warsaw has already spent millions of dollars improving the sewer system and it helps everyone," Houghton said. "The city is better off than a lot of communities. We're hoping to keep it that way."
The next wastewater utility meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. The public is invited. Questionnaires regarding public perception of the current system will be available, and Henderson invites resident response.
