This map shows the full scope of Greenwood’s Western Regional Interceptor project.
SUBMITTED
The finish line is nearly in sight for the city of Greenwood’s multi-year, $62.2 million dollar project to upgrade the sewer system on the city’s westside.
Work is still expected to continue through the summer for the western regional interceptor that will replace 10 miles of Greenwood’s aging pipelines and lift stations in White River Township, between State Road 135 and State Road 37. The line will connect to Indianapolis sewers across County Line Road.
City officials say the interceptor is the largest capital project in Greenwood’s history. There were some cost savings early in the project, but city officials won’t know the total of savings until the project is complete, said Kevin Steinmetz, the city’s capital projects manager.
Construction was separated into two phases, with the first beginning in the summer of 2019 and the second in 2020. Now, the project is about three-quarters of the way done, Steinmetz said.
To pay for the work, the Greenwood City Council, in 2016, approved raising sewer rates from 2017 to 2020. Rates increased by 49% over the course of four years.
Greenwood operates the largest sanitary district in Johnson County. The project will increase sewage capacity and accommodate further development in an already booming area of the county, while preparing for further growth following Interstate 69 construction.
“It allows for additional tie-ins and capacity on the far westside for the new I-69 corridor for the areas the sewer serves: Smith Valley up to the County Line Road,” he said.
For years, heavy rains, took a toll on the current sanitary sewer system, particularly on Greenwood’s west side and downtown areas, according to the city’s website. The new pipeline, which will vary from 8 to 60 inches in circumference, will alleviate capacity issues in the city’s sewer system on the west side of the city, as well as in central and Old Town Greenwood.
The city has two two sewer interceptors, on the east side and the original interceptor that follows Pleasant Run Creek through the city and connects to pipes in Indianapolis, Steinmetz said.
The western regional interceptor will channel as many as 7 to 9 million gallons of water a day away from the Pleasant Run Interceptor, the city’s website says. This is a very significant investment for the city, Steinmetz said.
“It’s a significant investment in infrastructure that allows the publicly-owned sanitation system to continue to add customers and be more environmentally conscious and resilient,” he said.”
With the project, the city will remove 10 lift stations, which are pumps allow water to be moved to a higher elevation in order to have gravity flow downhill again. The stations are expensive to run, and like other equipment that has a lot of parts, they are prone to breaking, which can cause problems with the sewer system, Steinmetz said.
“By removing lift stations in White River Township, (the system is) more resilient, less prone to a failure,” he said.
The project is also needed for federal environmental compliance, which mandates the elimination of sanitary sewer overflows and backups, which have been reported in Greenwood.
Right now, there are multiple crews working on the project, with several closures in southern White River Township. The area of current closures is near the final leg of the interceptor project, he said.
Enclave Boulevard between Clary Boulevard North Drive and Clary Lane is expected to be closed until Friday for work on the project. Eagle Trace Drive is also expected to be closed between Olive Branch Road and Berry Road until April 29.
