The regular monthly meeting of the Westport Town Council focused upon an important issue facing the community - necessary repairs to the town’s sewer system.

In October of 2003, the town received a notice of violation from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) due to sewage system overflows running into the creek. The town entered into an agreed order with IDEM in February of 2004 and submitted a compliance plan that September. The town was granted an extension in June 2005, and in December 2007 accepted a bid from Alpha Excavating for sewer rehabilitation work totaling $100,000. This work was completed in July 2008, and in December of that year, the overflows commenced once more.

Responding to this continued problem, the town initiated an engineering study of the system in order to determine a course of action to resolve the problem and complete the work agreed upon in the agreed order from 2004. The system was studied using cameras to see the state of the structures underlying the town. It was discovered that while the main lines are in good structural condition, the joints between the vitrified clay sections are enabling ground water to seep into the system, overwhelming it and causing the overflows, John Wetzel of Mid-Western Engineers explained.

As a result, the town council examined potential solutions to the problem, settling on cured-in-place relining and replacement of the sewer laterals to homes and businesses. In addition, the lagoons are to be improved. The total cost of this project is estimated at $5.4 million, town council president Brian Gatewood explained. While the cost may seem high, the town qualifies for a number of grants, he continued. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs has grant funding of $1,047,350 available while the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office has funding of $2,207,000 available. In addition, Rural Development offers loan funding at a reduced rate.

In order to be eligible for the grant funding, the sewer laterals to individual homes and businesses need to be in the possession of the town. This requires the 589 sewer customers to sign easements giving the pipes over to the municipality prior to making the grant application. Each sewer customer will receive a URA brochure via certified mail, as required by law, explaining the process of a public entity acquiring personal property. Gatewood assured those present that the brochure should be no cause for concern. The town will not be taking land, just possession of the pipes with access to work on them.

The project is planned to include lining of the main lines throughout the town. All of the pipes will be examined using cameras and cleaned out. Then, a liner will be placed into the pipes that unrolls in a similar manner to a tall sock, Wetzel noted. The liner will be cured in place by the introduction of hot water or steam. The new lining will prevent moisture from the ground from coming into the sewer system, thereby reducing the strain and correcting the overflow problem.

One concerned citizen asked what will happen to the excess water that has been flowing into the sewer system. He noted that drainage and the storm sewers are not ideal and that solving one problem may lead to more problems down the line.

“It (storm drainage) hasn’t been thought of up till now,” Gatewood said, “but we’re not going to let it slow us down from solving the problem we know about and are under a court order to fix.”

Once the process is completed, he explained, it will be easier to see what the real problems with storm drainage are. These issues will be handled when they arise, he said.

Former town council member Dave Stults commended the council and others involved in the process for their efforts. He noted that the community will be paying 40 percent of the project cost, when in past years, grants would have covered only 20 percent.

“You’ve accomplished something really spectacular,” he said.

On April 12 at 6 p.m., a public hearing for the ordinance required by this process will be held in the community building, and sewer customers are invited to come at that time to sign their easements so the process can keep its forward momentum. That night, Gatewood noted, the council will have a better idea of the impact to sewer rates.