The Chesterton Stormwater Utility is gearing up for 2010 with a number of projects, both public-awareness initiatives and a couple of more hard-core science ones.

As MS4 Operator Jennifer Gadzala reported at Monday’s meeting of the Stormwater Management Board, she has been collaborating with Indiana University Northwest (IUN) and the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County (RWRD) on the development of a pharmaceutical collection study. IUN and RWRD are hopeful of obtaining a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant which would fund the expansion of the current pharma-collection efforts but also a study of its effectiveness in reducing the amount of pharmaceuticals which end up in the sanitary sewer system. Under the grant, Gadzala said, water-quality analysis would be conducted over a three-year period at several wastewater treatment plants, including possibly Chesterton’s.

Gadzala is also providing support to Purdue University Calumet for its own GLRI grant application for an E. coli study of Coffee Creek.

Other possible projects for 2010:

•In conjunction with the RWRD, a four-week paper recycling contest at all Duneland elementary schools. The winning school would receive a refurbished laptop computer. Gadzala has met with Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer about the contest.

•A “Leave It on the Lawn” initiative which would promote the benefits of mulching and leaving grass clippings on lawns. Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg is working on an estimate of the total weight of lawn clippings dropped off annually at the Street Department’s compost site.

The Stormwater Utility posted these numbers for 2009:

•Total revenues of $573,788. Of that amount, $424,137 was raised through the monthly stormwater fee of $6.10.

•Total revenues for operations of $513,788.

•Total expenses of $491,832. Of that amount, $216,419 was spent on wages; $81,627 on pensions and benefits; and $172,037 on miscellaneous expenses, the most notable of which was the purchase of a street sweeper for $129,500.

•At the end of the year the Stormwater Utility recorded a surplus of $21,955.

•It also recorded total cash available for projects of $485,788. Of that amount, $447,921 was deposited in Cumulative Sewer, funded by a dedicated tax rate and reserved for stormwater management projects.

In December the Stormwater Utility ran a surplus of $19,570.

Meanwhile, the board voted 2-0 to re-elect Thomas Kopko to the presidency and Christine Livingston to the vice-presidency. Livingston herself was not in attendance.

Members also voted 2-0 to reschedule their next regular monthly meeting from Monday, Feb. 15—Presidents Day—to 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Posted 1/21/2010