A public-comment period has opened up for a State Revolving Loan project to build new infrastructure for drinking-water improvements at the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.

Nearly $6.4 million out of the State Revolving Fund is being sought by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to build and make several improvements to drinking water through the construction of new wells, a treatment facility and the extension of water lines.

The money from the revolving fund is in the form of a 20-year loan, and some of the costs eventually could be added to monthly user rates.

“Loans can be repaid in several different ways,” said Sarah Hudson, drinking-water program administrator for the state revolving fund loan program. “Generally, user rates are adjusted to repay the debt.”

However, at this point in the process, the loan has not been secured and when the loan closes — which is a couple weeks away, Hudson said — a decision will be made on how the money will be repaid.

No residential user rates will need to be adjusted to repay the loan and just a handful of industrial customers will be affected — about 45 — according to John Davis, deputy director for DNR.

The new drinking-water infrastructure will extend through River Ridge Commerce Center to about 40 customers south of Waterline Road in Jeffersonville and five customers north of Waterline Road in Charlestown, said a report from the revolving loan fund.

DNR currently owns the waterworks — for which they contract services out through Aqua One — that serves River Ridge.

An environmental assessment has been completed for well construction and a public comment period runs through Nov. 27. After that closes, construction could begin.

“It is our preliminary finding that the construction and operation of the proposed facilities will result in no significant adverse environmental impact,” the report says.

The limited environmental impact that the report cited was temporary ramifications from pollution during initial construction.

The first work consists of 18,000 feet of new water main; a 3,000-gallon-per-minute booster station; a 750,000-gallon groundwater tank; a new 2-million-gallon-per-day iron and manganese removal water treatment plant; and three 700-gallon-per-minute tubular groundwater wells.

According to the report, potential expansion could include adding another seven wells extending toward Longview Beach subdivision.

However, the former ammunition plant still maintains seven Ranney wells — built when the ammunition plan was originally constructed — that could provide water to the surrounding areas.

One of the Ranney wells is being kept as part of infrastructure on the project, but no plan is in place to use the other wells.

“While the systems have been maintained and repaired, there have been no improvements to [the Ranney wells] in over 40 years. The facilities are in a deteriorated condition and need replacement to meet regulatory drinking-water standards,” the report says.

While the wells are not in the plan for this portion of the project, they may be if expansion occurs.

“We have looked at refurbishing those [Ranney wells], but not in this project,” Davis said. “We think they will be useful down the road if the demand increases.”

The Ranney wells maintain a pumping capacity of about 70 million gallons per day and are ideal when a high volume of water is needed. Using all the wells could increase capacity anywhere between 40 million to 100 million gallons per day, Davis said.

“Ultimately, we want to get the maximum amount of water out that we can, but still have a healthy aquifer,” he said. “Actual analysis of the whole aquifer is a thing that will evolve over time.”

Right now, the demand is not present and there is a concern of over-pumping the aquifer. The only other alternative proposed in supplying customers throughout River Ridge and near the former ammunition plant was a no-action plan.

River Ridge is a fast-expanding industrial park.

“The no-action alternative would not address the deteriorating water facilities or the needs of the River Ridge Commerce Center over the next 20 years,” the report said. “The no-action alternative was rejected in favor of the selected plan to upgrade the system.”

The approval date for the project is Nov. 27 and if the plan goes forward, construction could be wrapped up by fall 2010, Davis said.





MORE INFORMATION:



SO YOU KNOW

• ADDRESS: Comments regarding the State Revolving Loan Program should be send to: Max Henschen, senior environmental manager, State Revolving Fund, 100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 1275, Indianapolis, IN, 46204

• PHONE: 317-232-8623

• E-MAIL: mhensche@ifa.in.gov

• DEADLINE: Comments must be received by Nov. 27



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Cost of improvements

Construction costs:

• Three 700-gallon-per-minute wells — $478,000

• 2-million-gallon-per-day treatment plant — $2,625,000

• Water-transmission line — $1,016,000

• 750,000 gallon ground storage tank — $546,000

• 3,000-gallon-per-minute booster station — $480,000

• Existing well demolition — $70,000

Contingency costs:

$520,000

Subtotal — $5,735,000



Nonconstruction costs:

• Bond and legal — $65,000.

• Design and construction engineering — $570,000

• Archeological and geotechnical report — $15,000

Subtotal — $650,000



Total estimated cost $6,385,000