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New utilities director stresses long‑term investments; estimates system replacement cost up to $1 billion
Summary
Lane Young, Carmel's new director for water and sewer utilities, described the utility's operational model, said the system relies on rates rather than taxes, and estimated a full system replacement cost between $750 million and $1 billion; he also discussed water softening and seasonal demand swings.
Lane Young, the newly introduced director for Carmel’s water and sewer utilities, outlined the utility’s priorities and highlighted the scale of long‑term infrastructure needs, funding via rates and seasonal demand patterns.
Young said the utility is not tax‑funded and must cover capital and operating costs through customer rates. "If we had to replace our system, Carmel system today, it would cost somewhere between $750,000,000 and a billion dollars," Young said, adding the utility is preparing asset management and rate plans to avoid sudden large increases.
Why this matters: Water and sewer infrastructure are capital‑intensive systems that cities must maintain to protect service reliability. Young framed his remit as building an asset‑management program that catalogs equipment, conditions and lifecycles so rate changes can be phased and predictable.
Operational details and demand Young described service details and seasonal consumption: the utility softens water as part of its treatment process and runs the softening system at lower intensity during peak irrigation months. He gave seasonal demand figures as an operational example: "Our average demand for water just for normal living is 8,000,000 gallons a day, 8 months of the year. And then it goes up to 22,000,000 gallons a day in the sun," he said, attributing the increase to irrigation.
Leadership background and approach Young said his career includes utility management experience and emphasized "servant leadership" and stakeholder engagement. He said his team will inventory system assets, model life cycles and propose rate plans designed to avoid sudden large jumps, rather than deferring maintenance and triggering sharp increases later.
Public outreach Young welcomed residents to utility tours and the city’s multi‑week utility education program (the Carmel Utility Academy), and encouraged water conservation conversations as the city plans summer demand management. A meeting attendee noted the program is a six‑week series and encouraged others to attend.
Attribution note: Factual figures and assessments in this article are taken from remarks by Lane Young, the city’s newly introduced director for water and sewer utilities, at a Carmel business luncheon.
