Bids were sent out last week for the construction of a new sewage plant in Gas City, Ind. The proposed plant, which would have three times the water capacity of the current facility, will provide significant economic growth for the city, said council member Larry Terwillegar.

Wastewater superintendent Jim Richards said the Board of Works should approve a general contractor by early next week. "Hopefully by sometime in August we'll get started and break ground," he said.

The project, which should take about one year to complete, will cost an estimated $5 to $6 million. The new plant is set to be built just west of the current facility on Broadway Street.

A low-interest state loan will fund the project, and Gas City will pay off its debt with the revenue from monthly water bills. Terwillegar said that because of three 28 percent water rate increases about three years ago, the city does not anticipate raising rates again. Richards, too, said he believes the rate increases from three years ago will cover the new project.

The new sewage plant will hold up to 6 million gal of water per day, whereas the current facility holds 2 million gal per day. Richards noted that this increased capacity will help with local storm water issues; sometimes the current plant cannot hold enough water during periods of heavy rainfall.

The plant presently used is almost 50 years old, and its was most recently updated in 1980. Richards said most of the equipment is past its life expectancy and that local officials have "nursed it along" in recent years.

The Gas City upgrade project first became an topic of interest when the Indiana Department of Environmental Management mandated that cities and towns separate their sewer overflow from their storm drainage system. The utilities department decided a new plant was necessary considering the current facility's age, condition and storm water issues.

Source: Marion Chronicle Tribune