Wastewater

• Administrative:  Monday through Friday, 8.00 AM to 4.00PM (Excluding Holidays)

The study area includes areas currently served by the New Albany wastewater collection and treatment system plus areas the City expects to be added to their system as future development occurs over the next 20 years.  The City currently serves areas within the corporate limits and some newer subdivisions northeast of the City in unincorporated Floyd County.  The City also receives wastewater from the Town of Georgetown, located west of New Albany. Information on future development was obtained from the Comprehensive Plan Year 2020 (HNTB, 1999) and from research completed by the New Albany Sewer Board regarding recent development trends in the area. Future development is anticipated to occur in the urban fringe area northeast of the current corporate limits out to the Floyd County line; in the area known as the “Rim of the Knobs” to the west-northwest of New Albany; and in the area in and surrounding the Town of Georgetown to the west of New Albany.  As these areas continue to develop, it is expected that New Albany will provide sanitary sewer service (after the necessary capacity upgrades are made).  Figure 1 (figures are grouped together in Appendix A) illustrates the existing service area and 20-year service area. For information on these topics and others: Future Situations, Population Projections (20-YEAR), Proposed Design Flows and Wasteloads, Design Wasteloads, Proposed WWTP Effluent Limits & Evaluation of Ability to Transport & Treat Flows is in Section 3 of the New Albany Comprehensive Plan YR 2020.

Q. What is the purpose of the Sewer Board?
A. The board administers the rate, structures, the billings, environmental impacts, governmental regulations, personnel, building maintenance, and future expansions.

Q. Who do I contact if I have backup in my basement?
A. Call the office at 812-948-5320 and we will send someone out to check the main to determine whether the backup is caused by blockage from the City’s main.  Sewer personnel will not go onto private property to clear a drain.  If the blockage is determined to be on the homeowner’s property, the homeowner must call a licensed plumber.

Q. Who do I call to locate my sewer line?
A. Call – Before You Dig 811 or 1-800-382-5544 for all other utility locates.

Q. Where are the lift stations located?
A. There are 15 lift stations.

Q. My neighbor is discharging raw sewage on their property. Is this legal?  How do I file a complaint?
A. Call the Health Department- 812-948-4726.  The health dept will go out and inspect and fine the partied if they are not in compliance.  You may call the Wastewater office and we will send someone out to check the line.

Q. Will new sewer lines be constructed in my area?
A. Proposed improvement project areas are located throughout the City.  The existing WWTP at W. 1Oth Street and Main Street requires upgrading.  Improvements considered under this PER include lift station upgrades, new lift stations and forcemains, and gravity relief sewers.  Proposed improvements will be constructed within or adjacent to existing City right-of-way on previously disturbed ground, where possible.

Q. Is it ok to call your office for a smell?
A. Sewer smells are typically present when sewer gas escapes from the sewer and makes its way into your home or basement through the drains or a leak. There are a few potential causes: cracked drain, clogged rain vent, no drain trap and etc.  Sewer gas can be harmful to your health and may pose a fire risk.

Q. I live in the county, can I connect to City sewers?
A. If a sewer line is within 300 feet of a property it can connect to the City’s sewers.  The tap-in fees for residences are:  City:  $1800.00 and Fringe:  $3050.00.

Q. What is IDEM’s role with the municipal sewers?
A. See link: http://www.in.gov/idem/5919.htm

Q. How many customers does the wastewater plant service?
A. We service approximately 18,000 customers throughout the City of New Albany and its unincorporated Fringe Area.

Q. What is the difference between a basin interceptor and a pump station?
A. Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites. Basin Interceptors are temporary storage basin which will prevent rainwater from pushing the system beyond its capacity.

Q. Do I call your office if I have a question about my sewer bill?
A. New Albany Municipal Utilities handles the billing for the City of New Albany.

• Standard Drawing Template (.dwg)
• Indiana Code 36-9-23 – Governs Municipal Wastewater Operations
• Indiana Code 36-9-28 Chapter 28 Certain Watercourse, Levee, Sewer, and Drain Improvements
• Indiana Code 36-9-23 Chapter 23 Municipal Sewage Works
• New Albany Code of Ordinances (Chapter 51: Sewers)
• New Albany Code of Ordinances (Chapter 52: Wastewater Treatment Plant)
• IDEM Permit Guide Wastewater Treatment Facilitieshttp://www.in.gov/idem/5919.htm
• IDEM Forms
• EPA Municipalities and Wastewater Treatment Plants
• EPA Wastewater Management
• EPA REGION 5
• NAFC Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Design Manual & References
• What not to put in the Sewer.