Lafayette to reduce sewage in Wabash

LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The city of Lafayette signed an agreement with the state to reduce the amount of raw sewage the city dumps into the Wabash River.

Talks began in 2007 when the Indiana Department of Environmental Management filed a complaint against the city in connection with heavy rainfall causing combined sewer overflows, or CSOs.

In an average year, the city dumps untreated sewage into the river 96 times.

A 20-year, $179 million project is designed to decrease that number to 4 overflows per year.

One phase of the project includes building additional storage tanks.

Mayor Tony Roswarski says the project will not only increase the city's commitment to improving the environment, but it will also be critical to developing the Wabash River area.

"Sometimes talking about water and sewer and gray and green infrastructure is not really exciting, but the reality is this is a critical component in moving our community forward and so we are very pleased that we have been able to reach this agreement," said Roswarski.

Work on the project is scheduled to begin in 2010.