Like other cities across the country, Indianapolis negotiated a Combined Sewer Overflow Consent Decree and Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) to reduce sewer overflows into local waterways. In 2010, Mayor Greg Ballard and administration officials were able to announce plans to save Indianapolis residents $740 million and provide cleaner waterways faster than originally planned. In addition to the savings, the improvements will divert, ahead of schedule, 3.5 billion gallons of sewage from polluting local waterways.
What is a Combined Sewer Overflow Consent Decree?
The 
Consent Decree is an agreement outlining a 20-year plan to curb the overflow of raw sewage from combined sewers into waterways. The Consent Decree requires capture and treatment of 97 percent of the sewage overflows in the Fall Creek watershed and 95 percent in the White River watershed. By 2025, overflows will only be allowed to occur during two storms per year on Fall Creek and four storms per year on White River and other waterways.
In addition to its environmental and economic impact, the plan will help improve neighborhoods through design and construction of co-functional buildings and improvements at sites around the city. The plan has earned recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other national organizations.
Raw Sewage Overflow Long Term Control Plan and Water Quality Improvement Report
Submitted September 2006; Approved January 2007; Updated November 2017; Approved February 2018; Updated November 2022; Approved February 2023
Long Term Control Plan Report and Appendices - Nov 2022 (180Mb)
IDEM 5 Year Review Acknowledgement Letter - Feb 2023
Use Attainability Analysis
A Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) is a scientific assessment that examines the factors affecting the designated use of a water body and if that use is attainable. A UAA is a critical component of Citizens’ Consent Decree. When a UAA is completed and approved, it is used to support a change to the designated use of a water body through the water quality standards (WQS). As part of Citizens’ responsibility to meet WQS while maintaining affordable rates, Citizens updated and submitted their UAA for review and approval in March 2019.
IDEM Approval of UAA - Aug 2019
IDEM Use Attainability Analysis - Jul 2019
EPA Approval of CSO Wet Weather Use - Jul 2019