Valparaiso council adopts updated sewer-use ordinance and enforcement plan (sent to U.S. EPA)

The Valparaiso Common Council voted unanimously to adopt updates to the city's Sewer Use Ordinance and an enforcement response plan designed to regulate industrial discharges and protect the wastewater treatment system. Utilities director Steve Pulos presented the changes and explained they align with U.S. EPA and state standards and give the city clearer enforcement tools, including permits, inspections, automatic samplers and penalties.

Pulos told council the modifications include tightened limits for some pollutants and clarified definitions; he said the program has been in compliance since its initiation and that enforcement tools include letters of violation, compliance plans and civil penalties. "According to Indiana code, fines for a first violation cannot exceed $2,500 and subsequent penalties cannot exceed $7,500," Pulos said while describing the ordinance's enforcement framework.

Council members asked how the city monitors compliance; Pulos explained the use of automatic samplers and routine inspections to avoid sampling gaps. Residents and stakeholders in the audience asked questions about public reporting and PFAS testing; Pulos said the city conducts PFAS testing and reported no detections in the groundwater system.

After a public hearing with supportive comments about stronger oversight, the council approved the ordinance and a linked resolution to forward the documents to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by unanimous roll call. The adopted package includes (1) the amended sewer-use ordinance, (2) an enforcement response plan, and (3) a statement of legal authority signed by the city's utility attorney.

The action clarifies the city's powers as the local control authority over industrial discharges and formalizes the procedures staff will use to inspect, sample and enforce compliance.