Mayor Highlights Need to Eliminate Septic Tanks
Mayor Ballard talks with residents in a south side neighborhood at a press conference on Oct. 15, 2008.
Mayor Gregory A. Ballard, Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) Director David Sherman, Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Health Department, and area residents highlighted the need to eliminate septic tanks across the city while celebrating a sewer construction project in the Bangor/Delaware neighborhood.
Mayor Ballard announced that the city anticipates bringing sewers to approximately 7,000 homes from 2009 through 2013, compared with approximately 2,000 septic tanks eliminated from 2006 through 2008.
More than 27,000 homes in Indianapolis are served by septic systems, many of which are considered high priority because they are failing or near failure. Failing septic tanks leach contaminants into the soil and contribute to water pollution. Some septic tank owners also get drinking water from private wells, which can be vulnerable to contamination by E. coli bacteria.
For more information about the Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP), visit www.indy.gov/STEP.