SOUTH BEND — Looking for ways to reduce the cost of a nearly $1 billion sewer project, the Common Council voted 6-0 last year in favor of a free downspout disconnection program.

On Wednesday, city officials, including Mayor Pete Buttigieg and project coordinator Kieran Fahey, held a demonstration to raise awareness of the program, which expires at the end of 2017.

Standing outside a home on East Jefferson Boulevard, Buttigieg assisted as Fahey removed a downspout from an underground sewer drain, capped the drain and rerouted the downspout into the yard. The whole thing took about a minute.

“There’s not much to it, but it’s very important,” Buttigieg said. “This is (residents’) chance to have this done free of charge.”
According to Fahey, about 10 percent of all homes and businesses in the city funnel stormwater into the sewer system, contributing to the flow of raw sewage into the river during periods of heavy rain.

This presents a problem for the city, which is in the middle of an EPA-mandated $861 million sewer project that is intended to reduce the flow of raw sewage into the river by 95 percent by 2030.

“That’s creating a load that we need to get rid of,” Buttigieg said.

The free program runs through the end of next year, after which property owners face a deadline of Jan. 1, 2019, to disconnect any illegal downspouts themselves.
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To schedule a free disconnection, call 311, the city’s customer service line, anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit http://bit.ly/sb-public-works-forms.

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The Kankakee River gained status over the weekend as a National Water Trail. The National Park Service and the Department of Interior conferred the status on the historic ditch that paddlers can access near Crumstown, following a straight, channelized line of water as it widens, then wiggles naturally as it crosses into Illinois.

We know its peculiar past, once part of a nearly million-acre marsh that teamed with wildlife. Paddlers know that, even though it was dredged in Indiana a century ago, the river still boasts fish, birds and wild shores.
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Now the federal status will draw extra attention to its 133 miles in two states. Eventually that could mean more access and better care for the Kankakee, says Dan Plath, president of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, which started work eight years ago to map and mark the river and garner support, pulling in dozens of letters of support from cities, parks, industry, historical societies, conservation groups and others... To continue reading this article you can go on the South Bend Tribune's website or CLICK HERE

CLEVELAND, Ohio — With colder weather right around the corner, water pollution prevention is very critical.  Winter brings with it unique and significant pollution concerns to our lakes and rivers.  Because the ground will be frozen over the next few months, it acts like a hard surface similar to asphalt or concrete. It no longer has the ability to act like a natural filter.

​Pollutants accumulate in snow banks and ice all winter long.  Once the snow melts, all the grime, grit, dirt, road salt, and other pollutants are washed into our storm water systems, rivers, and lakes.  This seasonal addition of melt water can result in the largest single annual water runoff event in our region and contributes significant amounts of pollutants to sensitive streams and rivers.  It's important that we take steps to reduce the amount of potential pollution sources during the winter months. To continue reading this article from WKYC-TV 3, and learn what you can do help CLICK HERE

SOUTH BEND — Property owners may soon be required to disconnect from the city’s sanitary sewer system all stormwater drains and downspouts. A proposed ordinance before the Common Council sets a deadline of Dec. 31, 2018, to comply with the mandate, which is based on a recommendation by the Environmental Protection Agency. The move is part of an effort to control the cost of a $660 million sewer project by, in part, reducing the flow of stormwater into the sewer system. The project, mandated by the EPA, involves the separation of miles of combined storm and sanitary sewer lines throughout the city. It is intended to reduce the number of combined sewer overflows to no more than four by 2032, as outlined in a federal consent decree. A combined sewer overflow is when a combined sewer system — one that handles both storm and waste water — becomes overwhelmed and overflows into a body of water. In this case, that body of water is the St. Joseph River, which provides recreation for area residents and habitat for various fish and wildlife. To continue reading this article you can go on the South Bend Tribune's website or CLICK HERE

WILLIS, Mich. (AP) — Two members of Congress from Michigan plan to introduce legislation encouraging Great Lakes states to develop programs that reduce risk of pollution that causes harmful algae blooms. Reps. Tim Walberg of Tipton and Candice Miller of Shelby Township in Macomb County will announce their bill Tuesday at a news conference near Willis. It calls for initiatives modeled after the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, which helps farmers voluntarily take conservation measures such as reducing soil erosion and nutrient runoff. Fertilizer runoff from farms fuels these devastating blooms... To continue reading this article CLICK HERE

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Regional Conservation Partnership Program announced Wednesday, January 14th, that the St. Joseph River Watershed SJRW Conservation Partnership project has been awarded $6.8 million to address water resource concerns in the St. Joseph River Basin. This partnership project is a bi-state initiative led by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and over 30 partnering agencies, including the St. Joseph River Basin Commission. The project's main area of focus will be developing innovative solutions to combat increasing groundwater withdrawals and sediment and nutrient loading while providing economically stable alternatives for farmers that also produce multiple conservation benefits.

Partnering agencies will work together to develop education and outreach campaigns, provide financial and technical assistance to farmers, determine critical areas of implementation, as well as coordinate existing monitoring efforts to report current and future project outcomes. While the project funds will not be dispersed until later this year, the St. Joseph River Basin Commission intends to be a significant contributing partner in this project and the Commission is excited to work with other project partners on improving our water resources management.

St. Joseph County is blessed to have an abundant supply of water which has powered our economy, provided transportation, and made recreation in and around our local waterways an asset of considerable importance. How many times a day do you pass by or cross over one of St. Joseph County’s 50 plus waterways such as a river, creek, or ditch? The Saint Joseph River is the third largest tributary to Lake Michigan and is fed by many smaller tributaries throughout the County. 

One local organization is looking to make it easier for the residents of St. Joseph County to be able to recognize and identify the abundant water resources within their communities. The Michiana Stormwater Partnership (MSP) is wrapping up a long anticipated sign campaign which is designed to identify various water bodies throughout the county. Street signs with the MSP logo and the slogan “A Resource Worth Protecting” written under the waterbody’s name will be placed at major road and waterway crossings. Signs will also be placed along both the Mishawaka and South Bend Riverwalks. Installation of these signs is currently underway and will be completed in the near future. 

The signs are intended to draw attention to the local waterways that are sometimes overlooked as people are consumed by their daily travels. It is the MSP’s goal that with visual reminders of the presence of the water resources, residents will be more likely to think about ways to take care of our precious local waterways. Simple things like cleaning up yard trimmings and pet waste before they are washed down the storm drains during a rain event can help protect our water resources from bacteria and nutrient pollution. Making sure to use the proper rate and timing of lawn fertilizers can have a significant impact on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering our local streams and river. These pollution reduction practices are the types of things that the MSP group hopes people will be reminded of when they see the signs along the roads. 

​The Michiana Stormwater Partnership is a local working group of various cities, towns, universities, private businesses and county agencies focusing education efforts on the importance of protecting our environment, rivers, and streams and providing our community with information and resources to help them enhance their own stewardship efforts. To see a full list of the MSP partners, or to find more information about stormwater best management practices that you can implement at your home please visit the MSP website at www.MichianaStormwaterPartnership.org