Sewer Project 1940

1940 - Mar 6 - Town Board Studying All Angles of Sewage System Project

Members of the town board are visiting several towons in Illinois and Indiana today on an inspection tour of sewage disposal plants to round out their study of the possiblity of lauching a sewer project for Culver.

The board has learned that the sewers can be built under WPA at a considerable saving to local taxpauers as such work is termed ideal for using WPA labor.

Digging ditches comprises the major expense in building sewers, and WPA would furnish all this manpower without cost tot he town.

WPA would also pay 75 per cent of the expense of the pipe, while the town would have to finance only 25 percent of this material cost to get an entire sewer system built.

This would include connections ready for the property oweners to hookk oon to at his property line.

It has been revealed that a sewage disposal system, which Culve would need since it has no place to dump the raw sewage, could be better built under private contract since mostly expert workmen would be neede.

The best type of disposal plant for the local situation is the problem that the town dads are now trying to decide, as they are determined not to spend a cent on an elaborate system all unneceassry frills.

The plants they are inspecting today are priced at a figure far lower than has ever been quoted before, and if found practical will allow a complete sewage system to be built here at a figure that should pleas most property owners.

No definite figgures on the cost for each lot can be given until the board decides on a disposal plant and then has a survey made. After this the board will have to decide the method of financinf, of which there are two: bonds to be voted in a special election, of through the Barrett Law, which would allow property owners to pay small assessements on their tax receipts.

The town b oard has not committed itsepf to a sewer project as yet, and will not until it can have definite proof that it can be done without too great a burden on the taspayers.

However , with the WPA offering the liberal terms it does the officials feel it their duty to make a complete study of the situation at this time.

1940 - Jul 31 - Sewage Project Cost to Taxpayers Slashed

Only $20,000 to be Raised by Taxes; to Circulate Petition; Elcetion is Off

The cost to the taxpayers of the proposed sewage sytem and disposal pant has been cut to $20,000 as a result of the town b oard's revision oof plans. This means that taxpayers will pay only $2.00 on every $1,000 of their assessed valuation.

The other half of the town's share of $183,000 project will be raised by revenue bonds levied on the town water works. This will not raise the cost to water users, but will be taken from the plant's profits.

The board had a hearing b efore the Indiana Publice Service Commission, which granted permission to issue $20,000 in water works revenue bonds and indicated its hearty approval of the whole project.

Since the entire amount of the sponsor's cost will be raise by genral obligation bonds, as first announced, it will not be necessary under the law to call a general election and the board has decided to circulate petitions instead and thus save the town this additional and now unnecessary expense.

It is planned tto start securing signers on the petitions next week after the town board meeting on Monday night, when formal actions will be taken, Marshall Kizer is now preparing all the llegal steps and papers and will present them to the town dads Monday night.

Only propery owner may sign the petitions.

With the preliminaries now out of the way the town trustees are hoping to get the petitions signed as soon as possible so that the final arrangements can be made and actual work on laying sewers started yet this year.

Questions and Answers On the Sewge Project

Q. Just what can I figure the project will cost me?
A. Take your rax puplicate for this year and look at your assessed valuation. on that figure you will pay $2.00 per thousand each year for 10 years.

Q. I understand that we will have to pay a monthly charge besuides this atxation for the use of the service.? A. There will be no additional charge, either on your water bill otherwise. The taxes, which will be paid with your regular tax bill in spring and fall, will be you only form of payment. Pay no attention to rumors to the contrary for they are false.

Q. WIll I have to pay to hook my line on the town's main sewer? A.There will be no charge at the time the sewers are being put in for the property owner to connect his private sewer line to his home or place of buisness.

Q. I have been told that this sewer project will tear up our streets and terraces. A. The engineer has a blueprint now shwoing where all sewers will go and in most cases the sewers will go through alleys. The only exception seen now is on the north side of College Avenue where there is no alley, but if the property owners will grant an easement the sewer will be laid along the back of their homes.

Q.I have heard that the operation that the sewage disposal plant is expensive and that we will have to pay extra for that, maybe a monthly charge. A. The cost of operating the disposal plant will be so small that it won't amount to more than a few cents per person per year and this will be included in the town's budget the same as the upkeep of streets and other civic services. There will be no special fee or charge for operation of the plant, which is really quite simple.

Q.As the result of the town's experience with the WPA and the bath house it is being said that the town will have to pay more than $40,000 for the whole prooject before it gets through A. The sewer project is being handled in a different manner thant that followed in the conostruction of the bathhouse. A competent engineer has been employed who has had previous experience with building sewers under WPA. An investigation of his past record shows that he has built sewers for less than the original figures. This engineer has stated that he doesn't believe the Culver project will cost the town all of the allotted $40,000, byut has allowed a margin to take care of an increase in cost of materials or some other like emergency. There is no basis for such rumors as you have mentioned.

Q. With $20,000 of revenue bonds to be issued agfainst the water company does that mean there will be an increase in water rates? A. Absolutely not. The rates are set by the publi service commission and cannot be changed at will by the town board. With most improvements and other such expenses out of the way tje water company will not need the income it has in the past for such work and so the money will be used to ease the direct taxation on property owners. There defintely will be no increase in water rates.

Q.I have been told that the town is to fix the valuation fiigures on which the $20,000 general obligation bonds will be paid and that all figures will be increased.. A. That is not correct. Your valuation as set by the county will be used which the town has nothing to do in fixing.

Q.Is there really any need of a sewage system in Culver? A. An inspection of outlets into the lake and certain manhole around town should convince everyone that there is a contamination of the lake. Local interest in seeing that nothing shall injure the reputation of the lake, or threaten the community's health through an epidemic should sufficient for all good citizens to endorse the prooject. Now th at the state is ordering towns and cities on rivers and lakes to stop their pollution of public waters it is just a question of time untill Culver will be included in the list. A representative of the United States department of Health made an inspection here last week, but by the time his report has been received it may be too late to take advantage of the WPA offer to get a $183,000 sewer and sewage disposal plant for only $20,000 in i dierect taxation. It l looks like too good a bargain to gamble paying $20,000 now against having to dig down for the full $183,00 in the immediate future.

Q. Just who may sign the petitions and how many signers are need? A. Only property owners will be legal on the petitions and 51 per cent are required before the town board can go ahead and file for assistance and let contracts.

Q. Will the sewers b e able to handle the drains in my basement? A. The engineer has surveyed the entire town and planned the sewers at a depth that will take care of the drainage of all basements.

Q. Will i be forced to hook on the sewer at this time? A. The town board does not plan to force anyone to install a connection at this time, but the property owner will save money to hook on the main sewer when it is open.

Q.Will the sewer project help the local relief and unemplyment situation? A. Defintely yes. All person desiring work should be able to get it and the township trustee should be able to clear his relief rolls, which would make a considerable saving in taxes now levied for this purpose and do much to even up the tax and the sewer system.

1941 - Jun 18 - President Approves Sewer Project Grant

Nine Miles of Sewers to be Built; 2,000 carloads of Dirt to be Excavated

On September 16, 1940, the town board of Culver entered into a contract with Donald H. Lessing of Warsaw, to prepare plans, specifications and prepare an application to the Federal Government for a WPA grant to construct a sanitary sewer and reduction plant, several storm sewers, and water mains.

Previous to that time they had apreliminary report made setting out several different solutions to the sewer problem in Culver.

The Town Board decided to place the plant in the South edge of Culver and the bank of the outlet od Maxinkuckee Lake. At this time a piece of land was purchased and a right-of-way obtained back to the plant site.

The engineer, the attorney and the WPA office are to be commended upon the effiecent way in which the work was acc omplished, considering the size of the project and the differn items to be delt with.

From September to April the engineer laid out the system and provided the plans and specifications, and prepared the application.

Here are a few items which will indicate soemwhat the size of the project:
There are 45,155 lineal feet oof tile to lay; which if measured in miles, is approximately nine miles

204 manholes to build, using 340,000 bricks, which if loaded on railroad cars would be 17 carloads.

It will take 284,000 board feet of for sheeting

There are 4,725 lineal feet of water mains to lay.

The concreete work will take 1340 barrels of cement or eight carloads

The excavation will amounty to 65,692 cubic yards or if loaded on rarilway cars would fill 20 trains of approximately 100 cars each.


This will give you some idea of the work invovled in making the lay-out and the plans. The plans consist of 33 sheets of bluepriiints 24 by 3 inches in size.

The WPA office at SOuth Bend and the state office at Indianapolis are to be highly commended upon the way in which they handled this project.

The engineer filed the project with the state Board of Health on April 12, and received their approval on April 15. The project in its final form was filed with the WPA office at SOuth Bend , APril 19, was forwarded to Indianapolis April 24, left Indianapolis May 15, and was given final approval by the President on June 12

Considering the size of the project, the amount of work invovled, everyone connected with the project should be commended for their part, and the citizens of Culver asre extremely fortunate to be able to obtain a complete sewer system along with reduction plant, storm sewers, and water mains by this method as it would be almost impossible by direct taxation.

$181,682 From Government to Help FInance Local Modernization

The last technicality and formality is securing governemnt aid in the building of a new sewer system and sewage disposal plant for Culver was completed Thursday when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the papers allowing a WPA grant of $181,682 for the project.

The district WPA officals at SOuth Bend, the Indiana Board of Health, and the state WPA hedqurters i at Indianapolis has preciously placed their stamp of approval on the proposition. The whole project calss for $242,670 to build the sanitary sewer system, the disposal plant add additional sotrm sewer, and bulid new water mains

The plans figure on using 267 men a year if the whole program is to be completed in that length of time, but if that number of men is not furnished by WPA then the project will be continued over a proportionately longer time.

Besides furnishing labor, the government is agreeing to provide $15,616 worth of material of various types.

TYhe town board has decided to take up the sanitary sewer project first and start digging at the point where the disposal plant will be built on Lost Lake.

Property owners wil be allowed to connect to the sewer as soon as it reaches their property and start immeidate use.

Jut how soon actual work will start remains uncertain since there are a number of preliminary steps to be taken, such as the appointment of a superintendent, the allorment of men by WPA, and the purchase of material by the town.

NOTE: delayed, canceled because of WW II)