In 2005, the Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) began looking for opportunities to improve the quality of the rivers that run through the county. Funds were used from a section 319 of the Clean Water Act. We quickly decided to focus on the Little Vermillion River that bisects the county from west to east and empties into the Wabash River just below the county seat of Newport.
During the exploratory phase it was apparent that one of the major contributors to water quality problems was the fact that our rural communities had no municipal sewage collection or treatment system. In particular, Newport and Dana, a small town nearby, were discharging raw sewage into streams.
The SWCD facilitated a series of public meetings to bring attention to the problem. Our representatives spent the next three years working to bring modern sewage collection and treatment systems to the area. We opened lines of communication between key players in order to find solutions that would work for everyone. These representatives included county, township and municipal officials, members of the Economic Development Council (EDC), representatives of Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), and members of the public.
A Preliminary Feasibility Study, funded by EDC, focused on four communities within our county. It was completed and presented to the EDC and the county council. Finally, the SWCD held a series of three listening sessions throughout the county to get feedback and answer questions and concerns from citizens.
The result of this process is the commitment of the towns of Newport and Dana to build treatment facilities:
* The town of Dana began their project first and will finish construction of their system in late 2011. Throughout the project, the SWCD has served as a local and trusted intermediary between an engineering firm and concerned landowners and residents.
* The town of Newport has retained an engineering firm and is in the process of obtaining grant and loan money. They hope to begin construction of their project by the summer of 2012.
Patience and persistence on the part of the Vermillion County SWCD is paying off in Vermillion County in the form of vastly improved water quality, improved quality of life and improved prospects for community and economic development.