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Woodburn council hears proposed $9.48 million water upgrade, including 500,000‑gallon tower
Summary
Representatives from Commonwealth Engineers presented a preliminary engineering report recommending a new 500,000‑gallon water tower, distribution main replacements and a $1.75 million reverse‑osmosis softening system. The council opened and closed a public hearing and was told the total estimated project cost is $9,478,000, with an SRF application pending.
Representatives from Commonwealth Engineers presented a preliminary engineering report to the Woodburn City Council and opened a public hearing on a proposed upgrade to the city’s water system that the firm estimates at $9,478,000.
The engineering team recommended replacing the existing 100,000‑gallon elevated tank with a 500,000‑gallon tank near Front and Park streets. “We are proposing a new 500,000 gallon elevated storage tank,” a Commonwealth Engineers presenter said, and said the larger tank would improve fire‑flow and give the system capacity to accommodate growth over a multi‑year planning horizon.
Why it matters: council members and residents were told the larger tank would raise Woodburn’s fire‑flow storage ratio to about 2.35 (the common target range is 1.5–2), giving the town a buffer against forecasted residential and industrial growth and avoiding immediate pressure to expand treatment capacity. The firm said the new tower’s line‑item estimate is $4,990,000 including construction and contingency.
The PER also recommends several distribution and treatment projects: replacing undersized water mains in the Havenwood Forest neighborhood (estimated $1,252,000), targeted mains in the town center (about $700,000), a phase‑1 US‑24 loop extension ($369,000) and rehabilitation work to extend the life of the existing Woodland/front‑street tank (roughly $416,000). The engineers also recommended a closed‑circuit reverse‑osmosis softening system and related building expansion, estimated at $1,750,000; the presenter said that system would reduce hardness to roughly 100 mg/L and likely remove the need for most household softeners.
Funding and next steps: engineers said they have applied to the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program administered by the Indiana Finance Authority and explained SRF packet requirements. “We applied to the state revolving loan fund,” a Commonwealth Engineers representative said, describing SRF as a low‑interest loan program that can also provide grants to higher‑need projects. The engineering team told the council that the city must adopt a short PR acceptance resolution in a council meeting to confirm acceptance of the PER’s findings before SRF funding steps proceed.
Public comment and council reaction: after the presentation the council opened the hearing, took questions about timing and impact, and heard support for the softening proposal from several members. One council member said the community is in a strong position for growth: “Community is in a great place,” the member said. The hearing was closed after questions and a reminder that written comments would be accepted for five days.
What comes next: staff and the engineers will provide the short PR acceptance resolution for council adoption and continue the SRF application process. The PER includes a theoretical schedule tied to design authorization and funding decisions; project phasing and final scope will depend on grant/loan awards and council authorization.
