The town of Sunman is moving ahead with a master plan that will take them into the future with a new sanitary sewer infrastructure project.
They were recently awarded a $500,000 READI grant, funded by the State of Indiana for improvements in infrastructure. These grants were very competitive, and Sunman is to be commended for the work they and Clerk-Treasurer Cheryl Taylor put into this project.
According to Taylor, the land around the I-74 and SR 101 interchange development is very limited due to the lack of sanitary sewer infrastructure. “Sewer service is essential to the development of this area. State Road 46 crosses SR 101 approximately ½ mile south of I-74. The area along SR 46 is also desirable for development, with excellent transportation access and public water supply,” she noted.
According to Taylor, the proposed project includes the construction of a sanitary sewer lift station at the intersection of State Road 101 and State Road 46, about ½ mile south of I-74. This location was selected to most efficiently serve existing development and provide sewer accessibility for development around the I-74 interchange with SR 101. Gravity sewer could be extended from this lift station to the north, south, east, and west. An additional lift station may be needed in the future to serve development on the north side of I-74.
Information from the town noted that the lift station will be installed with two pumps, with one serving as a backup. Two force mains will be installed in parallel for the initial phase of construction. The 6” force main would provide for a long-term capacity of up to 300 Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs) (1 EDU = 310 gpd wastewater flow per house). A 2” force main will be installed parallel to the 6” force main in order to serve the short-term needs. There is currently not enough potential flow for good operation of a 6” force main. The smaller 2” force main will better meet short-term needs and provide for better overall operation.
The Town Board, Clerk-Treasurer, and staff of the town are looking forward to making Sunman the best town for their residents and hoping to draw others into small town living with close access to the cities.
