The groundwater aquifer in Charlestown State Park that in its prime produced up to 72 million gallons of water per day for the U.S. Army will soon take a step toward again reaching its potential on July 1.

That’s when a new water treatment system in the state park that will serve River Ridge Commerce Center industrial park is expected to go on line. The facility includes modern state-of-the-art iron and manganese removal facilities

“The previous system on this former military base was outdated,” said Tom Hohman, director of the Indiana DNR Division of Engineering, which led the project. “The new modern system will produce much better quality water for both commercial and residential use.”

Hohman said the system will serve the industrial park as it grows but has the potential to serve local communities and provide additional water for economic development.

Initially, the water treatment plant will have a capacity of 2 million gallons per day (MGD). Hohman said capacity could easily be doubled with the drilling of new wells on site and expansion of the treatment system. For comparison, City of Charlestown water usage is approximately 1 MGD.

The project is unique in that the source of the water is within the state park, but the area served is outside the park. “Another unique feature is the partnership between DNR and the River Ridge Development Authority,” Hohman said. River Ridge will operate the new water system under contract to DNR. The project was completed using federal economic stimulus funds.

Contact:
Marty Benson, DNR assistant director of communications, (317) 233-3853.