Sewer woes worsened by flooding

REDKEY — Recent flooding has underscored the shortcomings of this community’s combined sewer system.
“The reason I’m here is I have a backyard full of someone else’s feces,” Mary Rees told the Redkey Town Council Thursday night.
Many residents on Redkey’s west side found they couldn’t flush their toilets during the period between Jan. 12 and 13 when 3 inches of rain combined with melting snow to overload combined sewers and send Halfway Creek over its banks.
“When the wastewater plant can’t discharge, it’s going to back up,” said town employee Randy Young.
Though town council members were sympathetic, they acknowledged that any action now would be a band-aid until the storm and sanitary sewers are separated.
A report submitted to the council by Fleis and Vandenbrink Engineering, Fort Wayne, indicated that progress is being made on a longterm solution.
Over the past few weeks, the firm said:
•Redkey’s Long Term Control Plan has been submitted and approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
•A revised National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit has been submitted and approved by IDEM.
•A preliminary engineering report has been completed and submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture office of Rural Development.
“Let’s do what we can,” town council president Kyle Champ said of the latest problems. “We know it’s not going to be fixed until it’s completely separated.”
While the Long Term Control Plan is moving forward, significant questions remain about the scope, cost, financing mechanism, and timetable for sewer separation in Redkey.
“We’re going to know more in 30 to 60 days,” said Champ. “Let’s try to help their issues any way we can.”
Support for the project is being sought from USDA Rural Development and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Meanwhile, some in Redkey believe actions by the state and county have actually worsened the flooding problems.
Redkey resident Joe Anderson noted that the state’s recent project expanding the intersection at Ind. 1 and Ind. 67 created a larger impermeable surface and added a number of surface water drains that speed storm water to Halfway Creek. Anderson said 102 new entry drains were installed as part of that project.
Others urged cleaning Halfway Creek downstream from Redkey to speed the water’s flow away from town, noting that recent efforts to clean silt from the creek will not be effective unless the silt is removed from the banks.
In other business, the council:
•Accepted the resignation of wastewater treatment plant supervisor Violet Erlenbush effective Jan. 3. “Due to my job description changes by the council I feel I can no longer physically or mentally do this job without harm to my health,” she said in a letter.
•Noted two water meters had been damaged by independent snow plowing contractors. At the recommendation of town council member Ted Friddle, the bills for the repairs will be sent to the contractors.
•Agreed to buy a new motor for a sludge pump at the wastewater plant at a cost of $3,400.
•Noted that the roof at the wastewater treatment plant has been leaking and needs to be repaired as quickly as possible.
•Approved new fire protection contracts for 2013 for Richland, Jefferson, Greene, and Knox townships and the town of Redkey.
•Deferred a decision to purchase well meters for the water plant because the price quotes were unclear. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources had been urging acquisition of the meters.[[In-content Ad]]