Buchanan Street Project Completed

A major upgrade to the Buchanan Street area's sewer and stormwater system is substantially complete. The project, which involved replacing pipe as large as 48 inches in diameter, was one of several priority projects the Town Council approved in 2007 to separate storm and sanitary sewer systems and achieve compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act. Plainfield is one of more than 100 Indiana communities affected by the Act's mandates. The project also enabled the Town to meet Federal stormwaterquality standards.

According to Town Engineer Tim Belcher, completion of the project also “adds drainage capacity in the area that should help reduce standing water and basement backups during rain events.” The upgrades are also expected to benefit the community's ecosystem by reducing or removing sediment and pollutants before stormwater runoff enters White Lick Creek.

The $3.2 million project included construction of approximately 10,000 lineal feet of 12 to 48 inch diameter storm sewers, as well as a 1.3 acre stormwater basin and 3,000 feet of new sanitary sewer ranging from 8 to 18 inches in diameter. Contractor Gradex Inc. also installed approximately 10,000 feet of new curbing, along with 10,000 square yards of asphalt milling and overlay plus 2,000 square yards of full-depth roadway reconstruction. More than a mile of sidewalk/asphalt path was also constructed between Center Street and Holiday Drive south of US 40 to create a new pedestrian way and provide safer and more convenient access to Plainfield's pedestrian trail system.

For more information about this project, contact Belcher at 839-2561, extension 218.

Summer Sewer Rates Offer Savings

For residents who use a lot of water during the summer, the Town of Plainfield is again offering a special sewer rate that could yield savings.

The rate, an unmetered $29.01/month, applies to single-family residential sewer service only. It does not apply to metered water usage, and is not applicable to any premises used wholly or in part as commercial, industrial, or multi-family (two units or more) property. Eligible residents must be directly served by both the Town's water and sewer systems.

For 2010 the summer sewer rate will begin with the May billing and end with the September billing for sewer usage from mid-April through mid-September. Registration for the program is required. The sign-up deadline is April 15 for most residents, but customers with newly constructed homes may sign up until July 1.

“Unmetered summer sewer rates are a great way for many single-family residential customers to save money, especially those who regularly water their lawns or gardens, or those with a pool or irrigation system,” said Utility Billing Director Lois Burgner. She added that the department can help residents determine --- based on past usage or planned activities -- whether the program is appropriate for their individual needs.

Summer sewer rates will be in effect for the discounted period after the application has been completed and processed and a nonrefundable $50 application fee paid. The fee helps offset the program's operational costs.

Questions about summer sewer rates may be directed to the Utility Billing Department at 837-0000. The application must be completed at the Town Hall, 206 West Main Street.

Why the Rush to Sweep Streets?

You may have noticed that soon after streets have been cleared of ice and snow, the Town's street sweeping equipment takes to the pavement. Here's why, according to Jason Castetter and Patty Seymour from the Department of Public Works:

• Treating streets with a sand/salt mixture makes travel safer, but it also leaves sand residue when snow and ice have melted

• Additional rain or melting snow can carry this residue into storm drains

• The residue causes storm inlets and storm pipes to fill more quickly and impede water flow, necessitating extra cleaning and waste removal

• Residue entering the stormwater system can negatively impact water quality in area streams “We monitor weather conditions,” said Seymour, “to determine when it's appropriate to sweep the streets in efforts to keep residue out of our stormwater system. Sometimes that's soon after streets have been treated, depending on the forecast.”

For more information, contact Patty Seymour at 839-3490.