Superintendent Tim Woodward explains the importance of rotors at the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District’s Monday, Aug. 19 meeting. New rotors are a high priority for the district to increase plant capacity though will not be funded by any State Revolving Fund grants. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

CROMWELL — The results of Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District’s application to the State Revolving Fund were announced at the Monday, Aug. 19 meeting.

Board attorney Andy Boxberger reported the district is not in the fundable range for sewer or water improvements. They had applied to the SRF for possible grant funding for improvements that would increase plant capacity from 0.37 million, or 370,000 gallons per day to 0.5 million, or 500,000, gallons per day. These include installing new rotors to the plant and adding septic elimination improvements in the Enchanted Hills and Papakeechie No. 5 areas, among others.

According to superintendent Tim Woodward, the district applied for a construction permit to make improvements in 2022 because “we were at our 90th percentile of flow that we’re allowed to be at.”

“Since East Shore/North Shore finished, we’re quite a bit above 90% the last three or four months,” he said.

In light of the results, Boxberger is planning to discuss how the district can fund improvements themselves with Jeff Hersha and John Magsam of Commonwealth Engineers.

“We’ve gotta get with Jeff and work on a budget for the district and look at everything, see what those projects are gonna cost, what loan funds we can get, what interest rate we can get, figure out what is economical and affordable to do. That’ll probably take a couple months,” Boxberger explained.

As of now, the board considers adding new rotors its first priority in terms of improvements. Rotors mix and aerate sewage. Woodward stated the plant would be operating at 50% capacity right now if they were installed.

“They really do increase our capacity, so I think it’s worth the buck in the bank,” he said.

Older rotors at the plant were replaced earlier this year. Magsam mentioned new ones have a long lead time, estimating delivery in March if they are ordered now.

“The goal is to get it ordered as soon as possible, but we just wanna first have a budget in place, have a plan to pay for them and a plan to pay for the other things,” said Boxberger.

In other business, Woodward reported drilling a test hole for a new well has not begun yet due to wet ground. He stated all wells are maintaining a water level 32 feet above screen. Because water levels have held stable, he suggested replacement of the oldest well, built in 1963, might be postponed. The cost of a new well is currently valued at $18,000. The cost of a new well at some later date is not yet know.

A free lead survey of 10 addresses and 25 dig sites in the district was conducted in the district by the Indiana Alliance of Rural Water. No lead fittings were found, nor were any traces of lead in the water.

Woodward submitted an application to Northeast Indiana Works for a job training program for new employees, which he estimates could save the district $50,000.

Locates are still going on as fiber optic cable installation continues around Lake Wawasee. Woodward reported 600 locates had been called in within 60 days and estimated the district has done about 85% of them.

A waterline on Buttermilk Road, which serves four houses, has been hit by installation workers. Woodward said it is still flowing and should be fine if not hit again, but if something goes wrong, a line replacement could cost up to $90,000. He has filed an insurance claim on the damage, further updates are pending.

New screener brushes were installed using the plant’s own labor rather than outsourcing, which Woodward reported saves the district $10,000 to $15,000.

Woodward also authorized the payment of $7,200 to Mason Engineering for check valve installation to prevent waste from backing up into a creek near the plant.

Lastly, he reported the district’s land application of biosolids permit is up for renewal. The board approved allowing Woodward to renew the permit.

A full breakdown of the district’s planned improvements is available at tcrsd.com/downloads. The next Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District meeting will be Monday, Sept. 16.