Shown are Syracuse Town Council members, from left, Larry Martindale, Tom Hoover, Larry Siegel, Bill Musser and Paul Stoelting. Hoover and Musser were absent this month.

SYRACUSE — Robin Merchant, public works superintendent, provided an update on the wastewater treatment plant to the Syracuse Town Council during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, March 20.

Merchant said plant flow was very heavy after the snow melt and heavy rain experienced at the end of February. Several homes had water in the basement and Miller’s Merry Manor was unable to use the bathrooms.

The extra flow from the Turkey Creek connection sent the discharge way over the limit of what the plant is set to handle. Merchant said average flow is rated at 1.6 million gallons. During this time period the average was 2.6 million gallons and on some days as much as 3.8 million gallons. Merchant contacted the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to see what could be done, if the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District could bypass coming into the wastewater treatment center during these types of situations. The answer was no.

Merchant also notified two homes on Medusa Street that had sump pumps running all the time, they were pumping into the sanitary sewer which is compounding their problem.

Merchant is getting quotes on heating and air conditioning for the wastewater treatment plant. The council approved spending $15,720 with Bill’s Heating and Plumbing of Goshen. The plant will have zoned heat and air conditioning. The funds for the project will come from the wastewater plant’s operational budget.

Dutchman RV will be running pipe to connect water and sewer to a new building. Councilman Larry Martindale asked about backflow counters. Merchant reported 35 have been installed, but he has to check since some properties haven’t installed them.

One property is Plikerd’s at the corner of Main and Huntington. Merchant said a backflow counter is needed for the apartments and beauty shop and nothing has been done. He also noted water is being pulled from the building’s geothermal well. Merchant said two back flows are needed on each line. He also contacted IDEM about the matter who referred him to the county health department. The county health department said it only dealt with residential wells.

The council also approved spending $107,898 for an alarm system for lift stations and at the wastewater treatment plant. This amount is already budgeted in the repair quote.