Instant access to clean drinking water is easy to take for granted – you simply turn the faucet, and it pours out. It is rare to think of the complex of pipes, pumps, and treatment plants that deliver your water unless something goes wrong. Indiana American Water (IAW) is committed to maintaining Region resident’s easy access to safe drinking water, and has invested over $150 million in infrastructure in the area to ensure it over the last six years alone.
That number skyrockets to more than $400 million dating back to IAW’s acquisition of the Northwest Indiana water system. These investments take many forms, such as replacing and relocating water mains and hydrants to completely revamping the pump system that draws in water from Lake Michigan.
“We have extensive infrastructure projects underway,” said Justin A. Mount, IAW’s Northwest Indiana operations manager. “Our efforts include replacing water mains, hydrants, and valves, all of which are crucial to our system. Additionally, we’ve been actively replacing lead service lines (LSLs). Since 2018, we’ve received authorization from the state of Indiana to take on the replacement of these lines, which were typically the responsibility of the customers. We’ve identified over 55,000 LSLs across our communities, with a significant number located in Northwest Indiana. Our team has been diligently working to remove them.”
IAW was the first water utility in the state to plan out a process for LSL removal after the state authorized utilities to replace customer-owned LSLs and has spent nearly $100 million on the effort to rid the state of lead. Earlier this year, the Indiana Finance Authority awarded IAW with nearly $19 million in funding to replace LSLs in Gary.
“We’ve accomplished quite a lot already, and are on track to meet the timeline we proposed to the Indiana General Assembly,” Mount said. “We currently have $30 million worth of LSL work under contract in Northwest Indiana, so we’re absolutely committed to this.”
Another IAW project in Gary saw the company invest roughly $24 million into a transmission main project. It is a major upgrade to one of the Northwest Indiana water system’s main arteries, and complements two chlorine conversion treatments that were completed recently, one in Ogden Dunes and a $9 million project in Gary’s Borman Square Park. These projects, just recently completed, are set to make a big impact beyond the city itself.
“As we upgrade our core infrastructure, we enhance the entire Northwest Indiana water system,” said Mount. “We serve over 250,000 residents across various communities. Our water is sourced from Lake Michigan and flows through our distribution network. At our Borman Park facility, we treat approximately 35 million gallons of water each day, while our Ogden Dunes plant processes around 15 million gallons daily. This treated water is then distributed throughout our entire system.”
IAW is also constantly monitoring its system for areas that might need repair or replacement, tracking them by age and other factors to schedule replacement before a failure occurs. The company also works closely with local municipalities to ensure its work causes as little disruption as possible, often by coordinating its work with city efforts such as road re-pavement.
“Water infrastructure is essential for the health and economy of our community. That’s why we are committed to investing in it, ensuring that residents can turn on their faucets without concern about access to water,” Mount added. “Our teams work diligently, even at night, to guarantee that everyone can wake up to a hot shower in the morning. These investments are crucial for providing safe and reliable drinking water. Ideally, when we’re doing our job well, people don’t even notice us because their water needs are being met seamlessly.”