Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – Construction of a new wastewater storage tank in Bedford has been getting a lot of notice as the massive 2.25 million-gallon tank has become visible to motorists crossing the Spider Creek bridge on 16th Street.
On Monday, the storage tank was topped with its dome roof. A crane hoisted the dome from the ground and deftly moved it into place where it was to be attached to the green tank.
The construction site is tucked into an area between a section of the Milwaukee Trail and the Oak Manor neighborhood.
The new storage tank and lift station were among projects identified in the city’s 2014 Sewer Master Plan. The city adopted the plan to assess its utilities infrastructure and address sanitary sewer overflows. Sanitary sewer overflows occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms the capacity of the municipal wastewater system. The result is millions of gallons of untreated sewage is discharged into Spider Creek. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management previously issued the city an action order to address the SSOs.
The above ground tank will have an odor control system.
Misty Adams, Bedford Utilities director, said the project should be completed this fall. Construction costs for the lift station and storage tank are approximately $15 million. Funding sources include the Bedford Redevelopment Commission, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, city of Bedford, READI funds and the State Revolving Loan Fund. Reynolds Construction in Orleans is the contractor for the storage tank and lift station.