Utility Testing Residents' Storm Water Knowledge

The Chesterton Storm Water Utility of Chesterton, Ind., wants to know how much area residents know about storm water-related issues. The organization will be conducting telephone surveys this summer to test locals' knowledge of erosion and sediment pollution, storm water runoff, the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program and more.

The ETC Institute will conduct the water quality phone survey using a random sample survey of 100 housholds in the town. The Chesterton Storm Water Management Board voted 3-0 on Monday to approve the contract with ETC, at a cost of $2,425.

The phone survey is meant to supplement data to be gathered by ETC Institute from a similar random sample survey of 600 households throughout Lake and Porter Counties. ETC is conducting that survey for the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC). MS4 operator Jennifer Gadzala told the Chesterton Tribune after Monday's meeting that the NIRPC-sponsored survey is unlikely to generate enough usable data specific to Chesterton, so officials deemed a supplemental survey necessary.

Gadzala added that residents should not worry about how much or how little they know about storm water issues. The whole point of the survey, she said, is to determine what degree and kind of public education would best inform residents.

Source: Chesterton Tribune