The North Judson Town Council is taking steps to upgrade the town’s water infrastructure. Council members voted Monday to proceed with a plan to rehabilitate the two water towers, add a well, and upgrade the existing well pumps, among other improvements.
To pay for the upgrades, the town will pursue a loan through the State Revolving Fund, as well as grant funding from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. That’s a different approach than the town’s taking with its wastewater projects, which the town plans to finance with a bond from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Office.
While council members approved the wastewater projects last week, they held off on the water improvements, over concern with Commonwealth Engineers’ cost estimates for a new well. It would serve as a backup for the town’s existing wells. Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann told council members this week that Commonwealth was able bring that cost down by about $130,000. “He took off the well house that they had originally put on there and replaced it with the type of well house that we’ve got on the existing wells now,” Horstmann explained.
However, much of that money was added back, after town officials asked that an altitude valve for the downtown water tower be added into the plan. While one was delivered when the tower was built over 20 years ago, an apparent oversight by the engineer meant it was never installed. That’s prevented the town from filling the water tower all the way.
As long as North Judson is able to get the OCRA grant, the town will be able to make all the proposed upgrades without increasing water rates. Otherwise, the town may have to scale back its plans, raise rates again, or pursue other grant opportunities. Council member Jane Ellen Felchuk said State Senator Ed Charbonneau’s office has told her about some new grants that may be available.
