Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges faster city response after high E. coli readings in Windjammer stream
Summary
A Fishers resident told council the Indiana Department of Health and EPA flagged high E. coli levels in a stream behind Windjammer properties and urged the city to act more quickly to investigate septic systems and drainage.
Dr. James Gaydos, a Windjammer resident, told Fishers City Council during community comment that samples taken from a stream behind homes showed high E. coli counts and that he has been seeking a faster response from the city and its health department.
Gaydos said the first notification to the city was in April and that, after he contacted the EPA in May, the Indiana Department of Health engaged with the city. He summarized suggested follow-up methods, including ground-penetrating radar, smoke testing and red-dye testing; he said the Indiana Department of Health recommended contacting the city surveyor and examining septic systems that may have exceeded life expectancy. Gaydos said IDOH samples “are well above 10 times more” than the samples the city reported and urged greater urgency and collaboration among the city, the Fishers Health Department and state agencies.
Mayor and council members acknowledged the complaint and said multiple city and state agencies are now involved; council leadership encouraged Gaydos to forward his presentation to staff so it can be circulated to council and relevant departments. The council noted interagency coordination can be slower because the involved entities report to different authorities but said “a lot of eyes” are now on the issue and staff would work toward a resolution.
The item was raised during community comment; council did not take a formal vote on the matter at that meeting but asked staff and the mayor’s office to continue coordination and follow-up with state agencies.
