Stormwater is the only growing source of water pollution in our nation and adding illicit discharges to the mix just doesn’t help. A big thank you to City staff and departments for helping prevents, identify and at times clean up a handful of illicit discharges over the past month.

Remember, if you see something other than rainwater on the street or going down a storm drain please say something to stormwater management – 574-534-2201.

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The following is a press release from the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership:

The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, in collaboration with numerous community organizations, is launching a Brand Development Project for the region. The goal of this project is to develop a brand and marketing strategy which residents, businesses, community organizations, and local government can collectively support in order to attract talent, companies, and investment to the region. There is a strong appetite to join together to establish a shared community vision, which can collectively be supported and built upon over time.

Take the survey by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/sbe-community-survey

As part of the project, the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership and organizations from across the region are conducting a survey about living and working in the region. Survey insights, along with stakeholder meetings, statistical reports and workshops, are key to developing a compelling positioning strategy and brand for the region.

You can get involved today by taking the following survey – it should take approximately 10 minutes to complete – and earn a chance to make a $100 donation in your name to the charity of your choice. We assure you that any information you give will remain confidential.

We appreciate your valuable time and thoughts, and promise to learn from your answers and make the region an even better place to live and work in the future.

The City will close the intersection of Jackson and 9th Street beginning Friday, Sept. 20 around noon, to install a table top intersection. This is where the trail crosses from one side to the other and the table top intersection will make this crossing more visible to the traveling public. The work is expected to take about four weeks. Local traffic will be permitted in the blocks leading up to the intersection, but there will be a hard closure at the intersection.

The image above shows an example of a table top intersection. It was used to illustrate examples of table top (or “raised”) intersections by the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, the water main will be shut off at 2003 Lincolnway East due to water main construction. A boil order has been issued for after the water is back.

In Consultation with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, it has been determined that the water customers affected should boil their drinking water. This precautionary measure is recommended because a water main break has occurred within your service area.

It is recommended that all cooking and drinking water be brought to a complete boil for five minutes before using.  Please continue to boil all cooking and drinking water until we notify you that it is no longer necessary. Water is safe for showering and flushing the toilets.

We appreciate your cooperation during this time and will update you as necessary until the drinking water problem has been solved.  If you have any questions concerning the drinking water problem, please contact you water department at 534.5306.

The City’s annual summer sewer billing ends on September 15, 2019. This means that any water consumption after September 15 will not reflect the discounted sewer rate.

A summer sewer discount is calculated based on the lower of the actual volume or the average monthly volume of sewage discharged into the sanitary sewer system for the sewer bills issued in the immediately preceding months of November through April.

Summer sewer billing ends when fewer people work on their yard and go back to using water mostly indoors. It is important at this time of the year that residents check their home for any leaks from their toilets, faucets or showerheads to avoid a higher-than-usual bill over the winter.

A seemingly minor leak can waste thousands of gallons of water over the course of months or even years. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, and 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10% on their water bills.

The City Water and Sewer Department will be installing a water main at the intersection of Kercher Road and Lombardy Drive. The work will require excavation of the road, with a trench about 8 ft deep.

Lombardy Drive will be closed to through traffic on Thursday, Sept. 12 starting at 7 a..m., and reopening for traffic on Saturday evening, Sept. 15.

There will be lane restrictions on West Lincoln Avenue in front of the new Oasis Restaurant (702 W. Lincoln Ave.) beginning the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 10, until the evening of Thursday, Sept. 12 to allow for the replacement of temporary cold weather patches on the road.

Traffic control will be set up during the pavement replacement work.