Full Notification

Honorable Anthony Copeland, Mayor NPDES Permit No. IN0022829

**COMBINED SEWER EMERGENCY BYPASS DISCHARGE CEASED AS OF

8/14/2025 5pm**

The City of East Chicago’s publically–owned treatment works (POTW) collects and treats wastewater generated by approximately 9,987 residential, 200 public/government, 1,265 commercial and small, unpermitted industrial, and 13 permitted industrial accounts.

On Thursday morning July 31, 2025, a catastrophic event occurred near the rail tracks on Kennedy Avenue/Huish Drive and 151st wherein a 42”diameter buried forcemain carrying approximately 80% of the plants daily influent flow of wastewater from our Alder Street lift station was damaged by an outside contractor using directional drilling to install fiber optic cable.

Immediate steps taken by the City included shutting off the sanitary pumps at the Alder lift station and using the storm water pumps to divert the wastewater to the Grand Calumet River at our Combined Sewer Overflow outfall location CSO #003, located on Frontage Rd West of the Cline Avenue bridge (CSO Outfall # 3 signage is posted at the location).

5201 Indianapolis Blvd • East Chicago IN 46312A pipe clamp onto the broken 42” forcemain was installed, and the sanitary pumps at Alder lift station were turned on at approximately 5 pm on Thursday August 14th, 2025 to direct all wastewater to the East

Chicago Sanitary District for treatment. The emergency bypass discharge to the Grand Calumet ceased at all Outfalls.

The City of East Chicago recommends that individuals continue to avoid direct contact with water in the Grand Calumet River. Consumption of, or direct contact with, waste contaminated water could make you ill.

If you have any questions, please contact the East Chicago Sanitary District at 219-391-8466.