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2026 UPDATE: In December 2025, the Town successfully concluded negotiations with Raytheon (RTX) over the contamination of the existing drinking well field. This marks an important step toward ensuring clean, dependable water for the community, independent of state or other external funding sources. Andrews Town Council Minutes of a Public Meeting Held December 15, 2025.
A property south of Andrews, owned by Andrew and Stephanie Eckert, was identified as a promising site for a new well field. After favorable water tests and IDEM approval of the well field survey, the council decided to move forward with purchasing the Eckert property at a May 21, 2026 special meeting.
As 2025 draws to a close, two options remain in discussion to resolve the drinking water situation in the Town of Andrews. The Andrews Drinking Water Regionalization and Improvements Plan is a comprehensive, multi-phase initiative valued at $1.5 million which is fully funded by the Indiana Finance Authority. The project aims to assess design-related aspects, coordinate utilities, and evaluate both the feasibility and costs associated with connecting the water distribution systems of Andrews and Huntington. Also, the option of a south well field project is still in negotiation with a recommendation to update the material and labor costs from a Preliminary Engineering Report presented to the Town of Andrews in 2022.
FEBRUARY 2024 UPDATE: A second attempt will be made for SRF grant funding of a waterworks regionalization option with the City of Huntington. News on this application will not be known until June or July of this year.
AUGUST 2023 UPDATE: Despite being #1 on the water funding list this year, the Town of Andrews was again not awarded SRF grant money. The Indiana SRF does not have the money to do the full scope of the waterworks regionalization project with the City of Huntington, which also included funds for the repair of underground water infrastructure and remediation of lead pipes. The IFA asked for monetary assistance from Raytheon, the polluter prompting the need to look outside of the town’s well field to source safe drinking water. Raytheon did not comply with the request causing the town’s application to be written off as unfunded this year. With hopes that the current funding issues can be resolved between the state and Raytheon, council members intend to reapply in next year’s first round.
FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE: The Andrews Town Council has agreed to explore a waterworks regionalization option with the City of Huntington and will submit a new PER to the State SRF by April 1 for grant funding. News on this latest application will not be known until June or July of this year.
AUGUST 2022 UPDATE: Council has put the Waterworks Project on indefinite hold as they have learned the SRF will not award funding to the Town of Andrews this year.
In 2022, the Town Council is moving forward with plans to relocate the water plant and public drinking water wells. The Town is making a second application for SRF grant money from the State of Indiana. A Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) is available for public viewing at the Clerk’s Office or at this link: Andrews Drinking Water PER FINAL A Public Hearing was held on May 9 and the deadline is May 17, 2022 to turn in written comments about the project to the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office.
The Town of Andrews was not awarded SWIF or SRF grant money from the State of Indiana in 2021. The Town fully intends to reapply for both grants in 2022, and will complete the OCRA application process once additional grant funding is secured. All residential surveys and letters received in 2021 will be included with next year’s application.
Important Information about the drinking water in Andrews
Since early July 2020, and in every test since by the Town and Stantec Environmental Consulting Services, results have shown that all VOC levels in the finished drinking water are below the State’s recommended MCL. By Indiana standards, the water in Andrews is safe to use as long as the air stripper is online and operating normally. Under the December 15, 2025, settlement terms, Raytheon (RTX) will start building a new backup air stripper system to provide extra protection for residents until the new well field and water treatment plant are ready to deliver clean drinking water to the Town.
Because there may be trace amounts of Vinyl Chloride, cis-1,2-DCE, and possibly TCE or its breakdown products in the water, it’s best to reduce exposure to harmful vapors by using warm (not hot) water for laundry and dishes, and keeping showers or baths short. Avoid heating or boiling tap water without ventilation. These precautions will remain in place until the new water plant begins supplying clean water to town residents. The current air stripper equipment and building are owned and operated by Raytheon Technologies, formerly United Technologies, and are not accessible to the Town of Andrews utility staff. In the past, the Town was not informed of mechanical or electrical failures with the air stripper, and no electronic warning system was ever installed for when it stops working.
A complaint was filed in Huntington Superior Court June 19, 2020. Click on the “Activities” tab for additional details and links to learn more about this litigation to provide clean drinking water to the Town’s utility customers.
At the July 26, 2021 council meeting, Council President John Harshbarger informed those in attendance of a court decision to the Preliminary Injunction filed in 2020 regarding the drinking water contamination. After hearing the Town’s case in November 2020, Judge Chad Kukelhan, in Adams County, denied the Town’s motion on February 18, 2021. There is no explanation for the filing delay and resulting late notification. Apparently, the Judge felt no emergency existed since test results never indicated finished water with VOCs present over the MCL, only at the maximum allowed.
Now the Town must wait until the full hearing on the case filed in 2016. Meanwhile, Council has decided to proceed on their own with relocating the wells to a clean water aquifer. Multiple funding sources for this project are currently being pursued and Council has no indication at this time as to the amounts that the Town will receive, nor effect on residential water rates.
Andrews is located at 40°51′39″N 85°36′3″W (40.860824, -85.600960).
According to the 2010 census, the town has a total area of 0.65 square miles (1.7 km), of which 0.64 square miles (1.7 km) (or 98.46%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.026 km) (or 1.54%) is water
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 1,048 people, 504 housing units, and 452 households in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 92.2% White, 0.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population.
There were 452 households of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.6.0% had a male householder with no wife present. The average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the town was 38.6 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,500, with Families at $53,750, Married-couple Families $58,333, and Non-family Households $41,319. About 7.8% of the population was below the poverty line,
The above information is excerpted from the United States Census Bureau and American Fact Finder.
