Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Projects
Combined sewers convey both storm (rain) water and wastewater (sewage) in one piping system. Historically, more than 800 communities across the United States built combined sewers once indoor plumbing became commonplace in the late 1800s.
During normal rain events with ¼-inch of rainfall or more, the combined system capacity can become overwhelmed, resulting in a mixture of storm water and wastewater overflowing into area waterways. This is referred to as a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event, which causes a threat to public health and the environment.
Our Consolidated Collection Sewer (CCS) projects are working to mitigate CSOs in the parts of Indianapolis where overflows occur and cause the greatest negative impact to our rivers, streams and treatment system as a whole.
CSO 075 Southeastern/English - Más información
Consolidated Collection Sewer Projects (CCS)
E. 10th Street/N. Kealing Avenue
Sewer Rehabilitation
A large and long-overdue sanitary sewer rehabilitation program is underway at Citizens. Tens of millions of dollars are being spent to rehabilitate pipes that have, in some cases, been untouched since they were installed in the 1800s. Citizens is addressing the backlog of needed repairs by employing cured-in-place piping (CIPP) contractors to rehabilitate the lines and extend their service life by another 50-plus years.
CIPP lining starts by precisely measuring the existing or "host" pipe to determine the diameter, length and service connection locations. A felt tube is then manufactured to those exact specifications, saturated with resin, and shipped to the job site. Steam or water pressure is used to "invert" the tube down the host pipe where it will be "cured" using steam or hot water. The curing process lasts a few hours, and when completed, provides a new seamless and structurally sound pipe. Robotic tools are used to reinstate all service connections; and, in most cases, the projects are completed without any disruptions to the customer's service.
Since taking ownership of the wastewater utility, Citizens has installed over 100,000 linear feet of CIPP from pipes ranging in size from 8 inches to 72 inches. This rehabilitation program provides several important benefits for Citizens customers including: revitalized assets providing economic development opportunities, increased reliability of service through reduced asset failures, and increased safety for the traveling public by reducing the possibility of catastrophic failures causing sinkholes or voids under the pavement.
Pleasant Run Sewer Rehabilitation
Lift Stations
When sewage leaves homes and businesses, it is typically transported by gravity through sanitary sewers to one of Citizens Energy Group's two wastewater treatment plants.
However, there are instances when due to topography, bodies of water or streams; a lift station and force main sewer, which move sewage from a lower to higher elevation, are necessary.
10 Thousand Trees
Citizens Energy Group, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) have joined forces to begin a long-term partnership to plant 10,000 trees across the city as a way to beautify neighborhoods and reduce combined sewer overflows to area waterways.