Aquatic
Biology

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About

The Aquatics Program is a joint effort between the Cities of Elkhart and South Bend to evaluate the health of the St. Joseph and Elkhart Rivers and their tributaries. The program’s main focus is to evaluate the fish communities of local rivers and streams. However, it also looks at the health of the macroinvertebrate (insects and other small animals) communities, collects water samples, and samples the tissue of certain species to evaluate fish consumption safety. All of the data gathered by the program, biological and chemical, is used in a comprehensive evaluation of the health of our local waterways. Since the inception of the program in 1998, a significant amount of data has been collected on the health of our local rivers and streams.

Reports

2022 Aquatic Monitoring Report
2021 Aquatic Monitoring Report
2020 Aquatic Monitoring Report
2019 Aquatic Monitoring Report
2018 Aquatic Monitoring Report 
2017 Aquatic Monitoring Report 
2016 Aquatic Monitoring Report
2015 Aquatic Monitoring Report 

Why We Monitor

The St. Joseph River is the most important natural resource in the communities of South Bend and Elkhart.  As our communities developed around the river in the 1800s, we used it as a mode of transportation, a source of energy for industry and electricity, and as a conveyance for getting rid of our waste.  Early uses of the river drastically impacted its health, but it has improved significantly.  The Elkhart-South Bend Aquatics Program is gauging the health of the river from a long-term perspective.

Dam Removal Project

The Elkhart River Dam, located in downtown Elkhart, was removed in January of 2020.  The Aquatic Biology Program performed several surveys above and below the dam prior to its removal and determined that there was a significant disparity in the number of fish below the dam versus the number of fish above.  In the summer of 2020, the Aquatic Biology Program sampled above the dam and documented numerous new species that recolonized the Elkhart River following the removal.  The report below details the new species discovered above the dam and other fish community benefits as a result of the project.

Dam Removal Monitoring Report 2022

Fishing in the St. Joseph River

It is apparent from talking with local residents that many people don’t have a great understanding of whether or not it is safe to eat locally caught fish.  There is a perception among many that fish are completely unsafe to eat out of the rivers, while others claim that it’s just fine to eat any species without concern.   The truth lies somewhere in between.  It has a lot to do with the species of fish, its size, and where it was caught.  A variety of fish species are safe to eat from our local rivers and streams, as long as they are consumed in moderation and as recommended in the State’s Fish Consumption Advisory.

The State of Indiana, through several agencies, monitors fish contaminant information in water bodies across the state of Indiana in an effort to provide guidance on consuming wild fish.  The St. Joseph River is included in their fish consumption advisory, with a significant amount of the data provided by the Elkhart-South Bend Aquatics Program.  Detailed information on fish consumption in Indiana can be found at the Indiana Department of Health’s website.

Americans with
Disabilities Act

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In 1990, the Federal Government enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title II of the ADA required all public organizations with 50 or more employees to adopt a Transition Plan identifying physical obstacles limiting access to programs, services, and activities by persons with qualified disabilities and bring related deficiencies into compliance with the ADA. The City of Elkhart’s elected officials and staff believe everyone has a right to access public rights-of-way, facilities, and programs. The City of Elkhart is committed to making that happen.

The City of Elkhart completed the multi-step process of writing its Transition Plans in 2012.  The Right-of-Way Transition Plan and the Programs, Services, and Facilities Transition Plan are available by clicking on the title. The City will continue to review the Transition Plans as new construction projects in the public right-of-way and any renovations of public facilities are completed.

The City of Elkhart acknowledges its desire and responsibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In order to assist individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations for participation in, or access to, City-sponsored public programs, services, and meetings, a request for accommodation can be made by submitting this form or contacting the ADA Coordinator at (574) 293-2572.

ADA Coordinators and Procedures Resolution

ADA Accessibility Guidelines Resolution

Combined
Sewer Overflow

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Our sewer system, like many in cities throughout the United States, was designed to carry both sewage and rainwater – with relief points that overflow when too much rainwater enters the system.

During dry weather, sewage flows safely through the sewers to our wastewater treatment plant. However, during rainstorms or snowmelt, the incoming stormwater can overwhelm the sewers and cause raw sewage to overflow into the St. Joseph River, Elkhart River, and Christiana Creek. During wet weather, overflows can occur at up to 29 locations along our waterways and can be triggered by as little as two-tenths of an inch of rainfall or snowmelt. Elkhart has developed a plan to capture and treat more of these overflows.

Elkhart strives to inform our citizens that caution should be taken when choosing to engage in recreational activity on or in the surface water bodies of our community during and after a rainfall or snowmelt event. The links below provides more information about how the City meets this goal.

Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan

The City’s sewer system was founded in the 1800’s, and unfortunately was originally built to accommodate both sanitary waste and storm water runoff within the same pipe network.  As a result, the City has a system of combined sewer overflow (CSO) points along the waterways throughout the City limits that discharge combined sanitary/storm water runoff during storm events.  The City of Elkhart, along with 108 other communities in Indiana, and approximately 772 communities nationwide, is continuously working to reduce the volume and number of occurrences of these overflows.  The City is under a Consent Decree with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to spend $155 million by 2029 on projects to reduce the overflows and clean up the City’s waterways.  Information about this can be found in the links below.

Signed Consent Decree

Consent Decree Amendments

City of Elkhart Long Term Control Plan Final

Long Term Control Plan Appendices

Combined Sewer Overflow
Public Notices

As required by law, any permittees authorized to discharge a CSO to the Great Lakes Basin shall make available to the public an annual notice describing the CSO discharges from its discharge points that occurred in the previous calendar year.  To meet this requirement, the City of Elkhart has compiled several documents and sources of data for the public to access.  The required Public Notification and the associated documents are provided below.

CSO Public Notification 2023 Annual Notice

2023 CSO Op Plan Complete

2023 CSO MROs

LTCP Status Report July 1 – December 31, 2023

LTCP Status Report January 1 – June 30, 2023

Signed Consent Decree

Consent Decree Amendments

Construction
Projects

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The city is submitting a Notice of Intent to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management of our intent to comply with the requirements of the CSGP to discharge storm water from construction activities associated with the CSO 39 Sewer Separation Project located at the intersection of Vistula and High St. Run-off from the project site will discharge to the St Joseph River. Questions or comments regarding this project should be directed to Public Works at (574) 293-2572.

Drinking
Water

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All of the City of Elkhart’s drinking water is supplied from groundwater. This groundwater comes from several hundred feet below ground. The water is pumped to the surface, treated, and sent to City water customers.  Three wellfields, the North Main Street Wellfield, the South Wellfield and the Northwest Wellfield provide the water supply for the City of Elkhart.

Annually, 2.97 billion gallons of safe drinking water is supplied to Elkhart customers through 346 miles of water mains.

Groundwater comes from rain, snow, sleet, and hail that soaks into the ground. The water moves down into the ground passing between particles of soil, sand, gravel, or rock until it reaches a depth where the ground is filled, or saturated, with water called the saturated zone and the top of this zone is called the water table. The water table may be very near the ground’s surface or it may be hundreds of feet below.

Most groundwater is clean, but groundwater can become polluted, or contaminated. It can become polluted from leaky underground tanks, leaky landfills, or when people apply too much fertilizer or pesticides on their fields or lawns. When pollutants leak, spill, or are dumped on the ground they can move through the soil. Groundwater pollution is generally difficult and expensive to clean up.

Current Guide to Water Utility Policies

It is up to each of us to make sure we have clean and safe water to drink!

Annual Water Quality Report (also known as Consumer Confidence Report)

The City is firmly committed to providing water that meets all regulatory requirements for quality and our citizens’ expectations. The US Environmental Protection Agency requires that public drinking water systems provide information to the community describing efforts to protect groundwater, any regulated substances found in the water and an explanation of potential contaminants. Annual water quality reports are sent out by the first part of June every year, for the previous year, and can also be accessed by clicking on the following link.

2023 Water Quality Report

2022 Water Quality Report

2021 Water Quality Report

2020 Water Quality Report

2019 Water Quality Report

2018 Water Quality Report

Master Plan

Elkhart has developed a Water Master Plan to identify the necessary capital improvements to ensure adequate water supply, storage, treatment and distribution for the next ten years. For more information on the plan please call (574) 293-2572.

Understanding the Potential for Lead in Drinking Water

The City of Elkhart Public Works and Utilities has had no violations of state or federal requirements for lead in drinking water. Please visit our website at https://lead-service-line-inventory-elkhart.hub.arcgis.com/ to learn more about lead in drinking water and view the map of service line materials for the City of Elkhart.

Understanding PFAS

Please visit our page at https://elkhartindiana.org/pfas/ to learn more about PFAS.

Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Prevention

Cross connections are actual or potential connections between the water that the City distributes to customers and any possible sources of contamination if backflow, the flow of water in pipes reversing due to pressure or siphonage, occurred. Examples of cross connections include irrigation sprinkler heads sitting in puddles of water, a pool or tank with a filler below the water level, an incorrectly installed booster pump, or fire systems with water sitting in lines. Backflow can result in a potentially serious public health hazard. A cross-connection control and backflow prevention program helps prevent contaminants from entering a drinking water distribution system. The City of Elkhart’s cross-connection control and backflow prevention program is found in the Current Guide to Water Utility Policies available at elkhartindiana.org/wp-content/uploads/Current-Guide-to-Water-Utility-Policies.pdf. The program specifies the where and what devices are required to prevent backflow and requires annual testing of all backflow devices. Testing results or questions about this program can be submitted to backflow@coei.org.

Programs
& Services

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The City of Elkhart is committed to proactive stewardship of our natural local environmental resources while positioning the community for long range economic growth and sustainability.  Ensuring the quality of this balance requires thoughtful and careful development of our community’s utility and transportation infrastructure which link Elkhart citizens to the community’s environmental assets.

The City of Elkhart’s utility infrastructure assets include:

• Drinking water supply and treatment facilities
• Water distribution mains and wastewater collection sewers
• An Indiana Class IV wastewater treatment plant
• Separate storm water conveyance sewers
• All public roadways, streets and alleys
• Traffic Signals
• Vehicular and pedestrian control signage

In order to position Elkhart positively for long range economic growth and sustainability it is critical that infrastructure needs are adequately planned.  To accomplish this mission, the primary function of the Engineering division is to develop and implement the master plans for Elkhart’s utility and transportation infrastructure.  These plans, founded in scientific methods using baseline metrics for standards, are used to provide guidance for long-range capital improvement, asset management, and environmental management programming.  Essential to the usefulness of the planning programs is the intentional use of all appropriate and available technological tools that enhance data management processes, accuracy in data analysis, and communication of analytical results for public understanding.

Elkhart Plan Room

For information on current and upcoming projects with the City of Elkhart, please visit the Elkhart Plan Room.  There current and prospective contractors can download information about upcoming projects for the City.

Elkhart Plan Room

Standard Specifications for Construction

The City of Elkhart has Standard Specifications for Construction for all projects the City bids, or for anyone performing work within the City right-of-way or on City property.  These standards are evaluated annually and updated as necessary.  This information is useful to all Engineers and Contractors seeking to do work in the City.  Information on the City’s standards, rules and regulations can be found using the link below.

Standard Specifications for Construction 2019

Sewer and Water Insurance Programs

The City’s Utility group maintains the sanitary sewer and water mains throughout the system.  Services, the pipe connecting the public main to the building, are owned by the property owner that is being serviced.  These pipes can break for various reasons – tree roots, age deterioration, settlement, freeze/thaw, etc.  For the vast majority of residential properties, the City operates a sewer and water insurance program to help manage the repair work and financially assist with expensive repairs to the service line.  More information on these programs can be found below.

Sewer Insurance Policy – English

Sewer Insurance Policy – Spanish

Sewer Backflow Preventer Programs

The City’s combined sewer system on rare occasions can result in a sewer backup in to basements.  The City has a sewer backflow preventer program to install devices on the property owner’s sewer lateral (service line) to help prevent this from happening.  More information can be found in the following link.

Backwater Valve Policy – English

Backwater Valve Policy – Spanish

Laboratory

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• Water Quality Specialist
• Chief Chemist
• 4 Chemist

Our Laboratory section works with the Operations and Distribution staff to ensure the delivery of a reliable and safe water supply. The bacteriological testing of new water mains ensures that outside contamination does not enter the water distribution system. Daily analysis of chlorine and fluoride ensure correct chemical doses for optimal effectiveness without using excess treatment chemicals, therefore saving money for our customers. An extensive monitoring program requires sampling and analysis of drinking water throughout the City. The Public Works staff chooses to go beyond the federally mandated frequencies for sampling and analysis. We believe this is another safeguard to protect our customers against potentially harmful contamination.

The Laboratory staff has repeatedly won the Indiana Water Pollution Control Association’s Laboratory Excellence Award. This recognizes the production of excellent, legally defensible data resulting from an outstanding Quality Assurance program that incorporates specialized training, detailed record-keeping, a safe working environment, and detail-oriented staff.

The Laboratory section analyzes over 4,000 samples annually for multiple parameters.  The laboratory’s analysis includes drinking water, wastewater, industrial effluent, groundwater, surface water, swimming pool water, biosolids, and soil samples.

Pretreatment
Program

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Industrial Pretreatment Program

Working with local industries to protect our water! 

In an effort to protect our treatment works and the quality of our rivers and streams, the Pretreatment staff permits inspects and monitors over 40 industries. The Pretreatment Program administers regulations to make sure the wastewater generated by industries is treated properly. Many industries must pretreat their wastewater before sending it to the sewer. This helps to protect the wastewater treatment system, our employees, the facilities as well as help to ensure that clean, quality water is discharged.  Because of our relationships with local industries and their commitment to protecting the environment, our waterways are cleaner today than in previous decades because business practices have improved.

Industrial Discharge Forms: 

• Initial Wastewater Questionnaire (online version will be available soon)
• Industrial Pretreatment Questionnaire (online version will be available soon)
• Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit Application (online version will be available soon)
• Self-Monitoring:
  • Batch Discharge Announcement
  • Certification Statement
  • Cover Page
  • Process Report
  • Sampling Event Report
  • Total Toxic Organics Certification Statement

Other Resources:

• Enforcement Response Plan
• EPA 40 CFR 403
• Industrial User Permitting Guidance Manual
• Introduction to the National Pretreatment Program
• Wastewater Utility Policies
• Wastewater Utility Use Ordinance
• Wastewater Utility Rates and Charges Ordinance

Dental Mercury:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Dental Category that took effect on July 14, 2017. This rule applies to all dental offices that place, remove or work on mercury amalgam fillings and discharge to the City of Elkhart wastewater treatment plant.  The regulation is codified at 40 CFR Part 441.

Dental Mercury Form:

• One-Time Compliance Report for Dental Dischargers

Questions?

Please contact our pretreatment staff with any questions:

pretreatment@coei.org
574-293-2572

Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG)
Program

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City of Elkhart Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Program

The goal of the Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) program is to help protect the City’s sewer infrastructure from blockages and backups.   The program works with local food service establishments, industrial customers and local residents to reduce their contribution of FOG to the City’s sewer system.  Keeping FOG out of our sewer network helps reduce the cost of sewer service.

A major component of the FOG Program is the registration of ALL FSE’s connected to the City of Elkhart’s sewer system.  Once registered and an inspection completed, FSE’s will receive a FOG Registration Certificate.  The FOG Registration Certificate will be valid for 3 years from the date of issuance.

FOG comes from many sources:

• Baked goods
• Butter & margarine
• Cooking oil
• Dairy products
• Foods cooked in deep fryers
• Lard
• Mayonnaise
• Meats
• Pastries
• Salad dressings
• Sauces & gravy
• Shortening

FOG Prevention:

Following tips for homeowners, businesses, organizations and restaurants can help reduce the amount of FOG entering the sewer system and avoid expensive sewer backups, and plumbing emergencies, while helping protect water quality in our community.

Do

• Properly dispose of cooking oil by pouring it into a heat-proof, sealable container and placing the sealed container in the trash.
• Scrape food scraps into the trash, not the sink.
• Wipe pots, pans, and dishes with dry paper towels  before rinsing or washing them. Then throw away the paper towels.
• Use a sink strainer to catch food items, then empty the strainer into the trash.

Don’t

• Don’t use a garbage disposal or food grinder. Grinding food up does not remove FOG.
• Don’t pour cooking oil, pan drippings, bacon grease, salad dressings, or sauces down the sink or toilet.
• Don’t use cloth towels or rags to scrape plates or clean greasy or oily dishware. When you wash them, the grease will end up in the sewer.

FOG Registration for Food Service Establishments

A major component of the FOG Program is the registration of ALL FSE’s connected to the City of Elkhart’s sewer system.  FSE’s established and open before June 1, 2015 will have 90 days (due August 30, 2015) to submit the FOG Discharge Certificate Registration Application (included in this packet).  FOG Discharge Certificate will be valid for 3 years from the date of issuance.

• Below are documents that will help FSEs better understand the FOG Program:
• FOG Summary Sheet 
• FOG Registration Certificate Application
• FOG Certificate RENEWAL Application
• Grease Trap & Interceptor Cleaning and Maintenance Report

Trash
& Recycling

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The Public Works and Utilities Department facilitates the collection of garbage and recycling efforts within the City of Elkhart with a contracted service provider, Borden Waste-Away for weekly curbside trash and recycling service to all homes and apartments with 4 units or less.  Borden Waste-Away can be reached at 574-293-5001.

A few things to keep in mind:

1.  Please have your trash and recycling bin out by 6 am on your service day.
2.  If your collection day falls on a holiday, your waste and your recyclables will be picked up on the following day.
3.  Recyclable materials include glass bottles and jars, aluminum, tin, and steel cans, paper and cardboard, plastics #1 through #7.
4.  Cart placement must be within 3 feet of the curb or street side and allow 2 feet of clearance from objects such as parked cars, trees, poles, etc.

Please visit Borden’s website at (provide link) or 574-293-5001 for more information including obtaining a trash or recycling cart, large item pickup, recycling of electronic waste and Styrofoam or additional service needs.

To view a map of the Residential Trash Pick-Up boundaries and service days click View Map.

Stormwater

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Stormwater is water from snow and ice melting, as well as rainwater from storms. When stormwater lands on natural surfaces like forests and grassy areas, most of it soaks into the ground. When it lands on streets, parking lots, and other hard surfaces, it usually runs off to another location. As stormwater flows (or snow melts), it picks up debris, chemicals (such as fertilizers and pesticides), dirt, cigarette butts, and other pollutants. This “contaminated” water then enters a storm sewer system and is eventually discharged to a lake, stream, river, wetland, or pond.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now considers pollution contained in stormwater runoff to be one of the most significant sources of contamination in our nation’s waterways. Within Elkhart stormwater may run off of driveways, parking lots, construction sites, and streets where it picks up oil, grease, sediments, and many other pollutants that are harmful to the environment. As this stormwater washes down our streets it flows into storm drains and then flows directly into local ponds, creeks, and rivers affecting our ability to use our water bodies for drinking water, fishing and recreational purposes. It also degrades aquatic habitats that are essential for waterfowl, fish and other aquatic organisms.

The City of Elkhart’s Stormwater Utility was created in 2006. This system exists to convey the stormwater that drains off yards, roofs, streets, and parking lots from neighborhoods to local waterways or retention ponds.  The Utility must also ensure that Elkhart meets state and federal requirements for improving the quality of stormwater runoff. Because most stormwater receives no treatment before it goes into a stream, lake, or river it is important that we keep as many pollutants as possible out of the stormwater runoff.

The  Elkhart County Stormwater Assessment Fee is calculated as follows:

For non-residential parcels the annual fee is calculated using the following equation:

• [(Total Square Feet of Impervious Surface on Parcel) / 3600] * $15 = Stormwater Fee
  *Note: 1 ERU (Equivalent Residential Unit) = 3600 square feet
• All residential parcels are billed for one ERU ($15 annually)

For developers wanting more information on how to submit a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, please visit www.elkcoswcd.org/rule-5-2/compliance-process-for-elkhart-county/.

For homeowners wanting more information on the rain garden or rain barrel incentives, please visit www.elkcoswcd.org/homeowners/.

 

Wastewater

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The Elkhart Wastewater Treatment Plant is located at 1201 South Nappanee Street in Elkhart, Indiana. The plant discharges effluent to the St. Joseph River under the authority of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).  The plant operates under permit #IN0025674.

The facility utilizes an activated sludge process and is designed to treat an average daily flow of 20 MGD (millions of gallons per day). Preliminary treatment includes automatic bar screens and cyclone grit removal.  The primary treatment process includes six rectangular clarifiers, and the secondary treatment process includes five aeration tanks, utilizing a biological nutrient removal process for ammonia and phosphorus. Effluent from the facility is disinfected year-round with ultraviolet light.

Sludge produced as a part of treating the wastewater is processed utilizing anaerobic treatment to break down solids and eliminate pathogens. Biosolids are dewatered using two-meter belt filter presses and are landfilled.

Current Guide to Wastewater Utility Policies

Mercury

In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency and the eight states bordering the Great Lakes agreed to reduce mercury released into waters.  This initiative limited mercury discharges into waterways that feed the Great Lakes to an average of 1.3 nanograms per liter each month (ng/L). That’s about one drop of mercury in the water that the City of Elkhart uses in 8 months! The City of Elkhart has a special variance to discharge 1.6 ng/L while we work to eliminate any possible sources of mercury entering our sewer system.

The 1.3 ng/L standard was developed to ensure continuing wildlife safety, but mercury can also poses a risk to humans. To learn more about mercury, including what you can do to help reduce mercury in the environment, please visit the EPA’s mercury website at epa.gov/mercury.

Public
Outreach

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The Water and Wastewater Utility provides an annual presentation to the City Council. The Utility encourages the public to view the slides from the presentation at the the link below to learn more about the Utility.

https://elkhartindiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2024-Presentation-for-FY23.pdf

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Please contact us at 574-293-2572 with any questions, concerns, or to discuss opportunities for educational programs.