Our water and wastewater (sewer) investments will have enormous benefits for the quality of life and the economy of Central Indiana.
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Public Health - Virtually eliminating combined sewer overflows and steadily reducing the number of failing septic tanks over the next decade in Marion County will remove dangerous bacteria like E-coli from rivers, streams and neighborhood ditches.
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Recreation - As the White River, Fall Creek and other streams become clean again, people will be able to safely enjoy recreational activities such as canoeing, fishing and swimming.
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Good Paying Jobs - A newly released study by Black and Veatch projects Citizens water and wastewater investments will create or support 100,000 good paying jobs in the U.S. over the next 12 years, including 58,000 jobs here in Indiana. Citizens engages both local and diverse vendors and has defined goals for engaging minority, women and veteran-owned businesses.
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Economic and Neighborhood Redevelopment - Cleaner waterways will produce significant economic development and neighborhood revitalization across Central Indiana.
Strategies for Success
With the help of current and future vendors, designers and contractors, we are evaluating the sequencing, design and the capacity of the tunnel system. By employing a tactic known as value engineering, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce costs and maximize savings. As we continue to stay ahead of schedule in the Sanitary Sewer Discharge (SSD) and CSO Programs, Citizens will remove up to an additional 4 billion gallons of CSO by 2025. Through ongoing collaborations with peer cities, we are learning and developing best management practices.
Sustainability
Citizens’ commitment to sustainability includes a focus on environment, business and community - known as the EBCs. We employ our EBCs by maximizing the efficiency of our operations, sustaining our business with financial and strategic planning, and our community with conservation incentives and public outreach.
Additionally, we will evaluate cost-effective sustainability programs for our capital projects, including the use of green infrastructure. As an effort to engage our community and support careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), we have ongoing partnerships with Indiana colleges and universities to conduct guest lectures, seminars and tours to our construction sites for students seeking careers in the field of construction.
