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What We Do
Combined Sewer Overflow Program
The Long-Term Control Plan
CSO Public Notification
What We Do

The Stormwater Process

Combined Sewer Overflow Program

Combined Sewer Overflow Program

What Is A Combined Sewer & How Does It Affect The Mississinewa River?
Almost every time it rains, raw sewage mixed with stormwater from combined sewers overflows into the Mississinewa River. Marion Utilities is currently addressing this problem, however, meeting Federal mandates may require significant financial expenditures that will affect the whole city.
CSO Public Notification

Long Term Control Plan

The sewer collection system consists of three kinds of sewers:
  1. Storm sewers that carry only stormwater runoff.
  2. Sanitary sewers that carry only sanitary waste.
  3. Combined sewers that carry sanitary waste and stormwater runoff.

The theory behind the combination sewer was that during dry weather it could transport sanitary waste to the treatment plant. During wet weather, the sanitary waste would be flushed to the treatment plant by the influx of stormwater, and as the sewer reached capacity, the stormwater would overflow to the river. However, a large amount of sanitary waste also discharges to the river. This discharge is called a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO).

Sanitary waste discharged to the river can have a drastic impact on the water quality of the river. High concentrations of metals from industrial discharges such as zinc, lead, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium and mercury, low levels of dissolved oxygen due to the biological breakdown of organic waste and high levels of bacteria and pathogens can make the river unfit for recreational use, impair the rivers ecology, and in extreme cases, cause fish kills.
​The History Of Combined Sewer Overflow Controls
The US EPA recognized the potential danger that CSO’s and other discharges posed to the nations water ways and passed the “Clean Water Act” in 1972. This Act no longer made it legal to construct combined sewer systems. However, this Act did not require CSO communities to reduce the number of combined sewers contained in their system, therefore communities continued to maintain and operate existing combined sewer systems. Realizing that more needed to be done to improve the water quality of the nations streams and rivers, the US EPA developed a national CSO Policy in 1989. With revisions in 1994, this policy set forth 9 controls which every CSO community must follow. These “nine minimum controls” are:
  1. Proper operation and maintenance of the collection system | This insures that each community has a preventative maintenance program to keep the system operating efficiently.
  2. Maximum use of the system for storage of excess flows | The more sewage that can be stored in the sewer pipes, the less that will be discharged to the rivers.
  3. Review and modification of industrial pretreatment programs | This involves working with the industries to reduce discharge volume and/or metal concentrations.
  4. Maximization of flow through the wastewater treatment plant | Most treatment plants are capable of handling more than their design capacity for short periods of time without affecting the quality of the effluent or harming plant operations. The more flow that can be brought through the treatment plant, the less that will be discharged to the river through a CSO.
  5. Prohibition of CSO discharges during dry weather | Some communities have combined sewer systems that are so hydraulically overloaded that overflows would occur without a rain event.
  6. Control of solid and floatable material in CSO discharge | This is mainly for aesthetic reasons to reduce the amount of trash and debris discharging to the river.
  7. Establishment of pollution prevention programs | Recycling, street sweeping, trash pick-up, and programs such as “Tox-away Day” all reduce the amount of trash that can eventually end up in the sewer system, cause maintenance problems, or be discharged to the river.
  8. Public notification of CSO occurrences/impacts | This involves public education on CSO impacts and possible dangers. Signage is placed at each CSO for identification with phone numbers to call if discharging is noticed during dry weather.
  9. Submission of a Stream Reach Characterization Evaluation Report (SRCER) to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management | This study measures the effectiveness of the first eight minimum controls, and identifies the impacts that a community’s CSO’s have on the river. After submission of the SRCER, each community must submit a Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) designed to reduce/eliminate the CSO’s.
​What Are The Existing Conditions Of The City Of Marion’s Waterways
Sewer System?
Marion’s sanitary waste collection system consists of approximately 75% combined sewers with 44 miles of sanitary sewer and 132 miles of combined sewers. Some of these sewers are over 100 years old. It should be noted that previous to the 1940’s, there was no Wastewater Treatment Plant in Marion and all sewers eventually discharged directly to the river. At one time the system contained over 15 CSO’s, however through a program of regular maintenance, and sewer separation, the collection system now contains only seven combined sewer overflows. It is estimated that, on average, 182 million gallons of raw sewage mixed with stormwater discharges from these on an annual basis.
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Sampling along the Mississinewa River has indicated that the metal concentrations and other water quality parameters are within the normal standards with the exception of the E-coli levels. E-coli levels are higher than the acceptable standard (235 colonies/100mL) during dry weather and climb even higher during storm events.
​What Is Being Done To Reduce CSO Events In Marion?
​A study completed in 1988 showed that Marion discharged an average of over 1.1 Billion gallons of raw sewage mixed with stormwater runoff on an annual basis. With improved maintenance focusing of storage within the system and over $12 million in sewer separation and system improvements, it is estimated that Marion now overflows 182 million gallons in an average year.
The Long-Term Control Plan

The Long-Term Control Plan

What Is The Long-Term Control Plan?
The LTCP is basically a master plan to reduce or eliminate CSO’s. View the plan. This is to be accomplished taking into account the following criteria:
  1. Sensitive/recreational areas
    Recreational areas where the public can come into contact with contaminated water will require elimination of CSO’s in and upstream of that area and are given the highest priority.
  2. Public Participation
    The community is to be involved in the prioritization and selection of possible controls through public meetings and citizens advisory groups.
  3. Evaluation of an array of alternatives
    A variety of alternatives will be evaluated from “no action” to complete elimination of all CSO’s taking into account “cost vs. performance” considerations.
  4. Affordability analysis
    Using federal guidelines, the ability of the community to pay for the controls and over what period of time will be determined.
What Are The Options For Improving The Water Quality Of The Mississinewa River?
Marion’s Long Term Control Plan will reduce the number of overflows from approximately 60 down to 8 in a typical year at a cost of $32 million over the next 15 years. The plan will combine these four basic strategies achieve this goal:
  1. Using the existing sewer system to store more sewage during wet weather
    In some instances the sewer pipes are not completely full before starting to overflow to the river. CSO weirs have been raised or other mechanical devices installed to ensure these pipes are full before they overflow, however, caution must be taken not to allow the pipes to get too full allowing sewer back-ups into basements or on streets.
  2. Expanding the Wastewater Treatment Plant to treat more flow during wet weather
    Marion’s treatment plant has a design capacity of 12.0 MGD, however, it can handle over 20 MGD for a short period of time. Expanding the Plant’s capacity will allow more sewage to be treated and allow less overflow to the river.
  3. Build storage facilities throughout the collection system
    Underground tanks can be constructed to store sewage during rain events then release it after the rain is over.
  4. Separation of storm and sanitary sewers
    Treatment of “clear” stormwater at the wastewater treatment plant can be very expensive and uses up valuable capacity in the sewer collection system. Separating combined sewers into a sanitary system and a storm system is an effective way of reducing or eliminating CSO’s, however, it is important to remember that in the future there may be stormwater regulations that could require cities the size of Marion to address pollution concerns with these stormwater discharges.
CSO Public Notification

CSO Public Notification

327 IAC 5-2/1
On May 9, 2003, a new rule went into effect requiring communities with combined sewer overflows to notify the affected public of the occurrence of overflows containing untreated sewage into local streams and rivers. As required by 327 IAC 5 – 2.1, this program will be incorporated in the Combined Sewer Overflow Operational Plan. the objectives of the CSO Notification Program are to educate the public about potential health impacts from contact with combined sewer overflow discharges, alert members of the public who are affected by CSO’s and enable the public to better protect themselves from exposure to waterborne pathogens associated with CSO’s.
Affected Waters
The “affected waters” for this program have been determined to be the following:
That part of the Mississinewa River from the Pennsylvania Street bridge north to the northern property line of Matter Park, and Boots Creek from the 9th Street bridge to its confluence with the Mississinewa River.
​Public Access Points And Drinking Water Intakes
These maps show the location of all public access points, CSO outfalls, boat launches, parks, schools, parkways and greenways on the affected waters.
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There are no known drinking water suppliers with surface water intakes within 10 miles downstream of Marion’s affected waters.
​Notification Method
​In March of each year, Marion Utilities will provide a Public Notice in the Marion Chronicle-Tribune Newspaper to allow the affected public, local media sources such as the Chronicle-Tribune, WSOT TV 57, WIWU TV 51, WMRI, WGOM, WCJC, and WBAT radio stations, and other interested members of the affected public to request CSO notification. In the same public notice, Marion Utilities will offer to provide signage to access points to affected waters on private property. Failure to respond to this public notice will constitute refusal of the community’s offer to provide signage. To notify the affected public and the County Health Department, when a weather forecast indicates a substantial chance of rain, local newspaper and radio stations will be asked to make an announcement similar to the following: “When it rains, older sewer systems throughout the city can overflow sending untreated rainwater mixed with sewage into the Mississinewa River and Boots Creek. In the event of rain, please avoid contact with water downstream of combined sewer overflows for the next three days. Signs are posted along our waterways to identify where contact with the water could be hazardous to your health. For more information, please call Marion Municipal Utilities or log on to marionutilities.com.” Signs are posted at CSO outfalls and public access points such as boat launches, parks, schools, parkways, and greenways on affected waters as shown on the maps. Signs will read: “Caution – Sewage or Wastewater pollution. Sewage or Wastewater may be in this water during and several days after periods of rainfall or snow melt. People who swim in, wade in, or ingest this water may get sick. For more information, please call Marion Municipal Utilities, (765) 664-2391.”
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Public notifications will be documented on the monthly DMR’s, and a record of submitted reports will be kept at the Marion Utility’s Administration building and available during normal working hours.