Elkhart strives to meet deadline for sewer improvements

ELKHART, Ind. (WNDU) – There’s a lot of underground activity going on in Elkhart as the city works to meet a deadline for sewer improvements.

This is a deadline that is not set for another five years.

“We started the first phase two years ago. It’s under construction right now,” said Tory Irwin, Elkhart’s public works director. “That’s why Indiana Avenue was closed all summer. It’s going to be closed next year as well, and then next year we’ll start construction on tanks on the site.”

Last year, the city council passed a five-year package to increase sewer rates to help pay for the improvements.

According to Irwin, the total price of the project could exceed $90 million.

“That will probably take us two-thirds of the way through our long-term control plan,” Irwin said. “We still have a lot of infrastructure to put in place by the end of 2029.”

The goal is to reduce or eliminate combined sewer overflows when heavy rains cause sanitary sewers to overflow into storm sewers and enter the river.

Overflows now occur almost “every time it rains.”

After the deadline, the city will only be allowed nine overflows per year.