About Us
From the Utility's inception in 1975 until construction began in 1986 on the original "Primary Area" sanitary sewer project in the Home Place area, the major priorities of the Board were demonstrating the need for sanitary sewers in the populated non-sewered portions of Clay Township and investigating possible sources of funding.
Originally the Utility was governed by a seven member Board, comprised of four (4) Clay Township Trustee appointees, and one (1) appointee each from the Mayor of Carmel, the Hamilton County Commissioners and the Hamilton County Council. Following the expansion of the District in 1991 into Boone County, the Board was expanded to nine (9) members, with an additional appointee for the Clay Township Trustee and a new appointee to be designated by the Boone County Commissioners.
The Utility was successful in receiving an $11 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a $4 million loan from the Farmers Home Loan Association to fund the original Primary Area project, which encompassed roughly 2000 homes in the greater Home Place area of Clay Township. All sewer construction since then has been privately funded by developers or through fees collected by the Utility; sewers are constructed to Utility specifications and dedicated to the District for maintenance upon completion.
The Utility also entered into an agreement with the City of Carmel to provide wastewater treatment at Carmel's treatment plant and has purchased a total of 3.08 million gallons per day capacity in their plant. Carmel is compensated monthly by the Utility based on a set charge per gallon of wastewater metered for treatment at the Carmel plant. Carmel's meter readings are cross checked against a meter at the Utility's main lift station near 99th & Keystone. Areas generally east of Towne Road are served in this fashion.
Since the Utility first began serving customers in 1987 and 1988, it has been organized with four service areas based on geography in two watersheds. From east to west these areas are: the Primary Area which includes the original EPA project in the Home Place area; the Meridian Corridor business corridor along US Highway 31; Clay Waste West between Spring Mill Road and Towne Road; and, the Michigan Road Corridor, which lies generally west of Towne Road and extends into Boone County. In 1991 the Utility's Michigan Road Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed west of Michigan Road south of 106th Street in Boone County and was expanded in 1996 to 1.05 million gallons per day and to 2.55 MGD in 2004. Generally, flow west of Towne Road flow to the Utility's treatment plant. In 2006, the Meridian Corridor Lift Station was upgraded to enable it to pump to both the Carmel and the Utility's plants.
As a municipal corporation, the Utility is a political entity created, organized, and existing under the environmental laws of the State of Indiana. The Utility is governed by State statutes and by a nine (9) person appointed Board of Trustees. The Utility's Board members are appointed by a number of different local elected officials and serve staggered four (4) year terms. To learn more about our Board, check the Board of Trustees page.
