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New lift station being proposed
Sanitary District hopes move will alleviate Ohio Street troubles.

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The Michigan City Sanitary District proposed a new sanitary lift station and street improvements on Ohio Street to alleviate the kind of sewage backups that occurred Sept. 12-14.

Al Walus, district general manager, said an Ohio Street sanitary system project had already been proposed for the 2009 city budget.

That was before record setting rainfalls ended with sewage in in 20 Ohio Street homes.

Walus on Wednesday told the Sanitary Board that plans to replace the 30-year-old Ohio Street lift station were made earlier this year when it became clear the sanitary sewer was taking in too much water during heavy rain.

Walus said the key to resolving the problem is to keep excessive amounts of rainwater out of the sanitary sewer because it causes sewage backups into homes.

The Sanitary District is seeking approval to purchase new monitoring systems at the lift stations at Ohio, Broadway and Henry streets. Current devices indicate only whether lift station pumps are on.

The new devices will allow real-time monitoring of conditions, allowing crews to be used most effectively, Walus said.

In addition, smoke tests will be conducted in the Ohio Street neighborhood within a few weeks to identify areas where there are cross-connections that allow rainwater to get into the sanitary sewer system.

Walus said he is hopeful that the Ohio Street project will be approved for funding.

"Rather than wait, we'll continue with the design engineering," Walus said.

Councilwoman Pat Boy, D-4th Ward, attended the Sanitary Board meeting Wednesday to find out what the district was doing to prevent future problems for Ohio Street residents.

The Rev. Luther Monroe, spokesman for Ohio Street residents, pushed for solutions at the meeting. Following it, he seemed cautiously optimistic.

"I believe they're really trying to solve the problem," Monroe said. "They appear to be moving in the direction to help alleviate it. All we can hope for is something better than what we have."

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.