Jasper Stormwater Department Targets Public Education Opportunities

At their May meeting, the Jasper Stormwater Department reviewed ongoing infrastructure projects and public outreach initiatives. 

City Engineer Chad Hurm provided a brief overview of the department’s upcoming schedule. The primary focus will be the cemetery project, and Hurm said that work will be required this year on the Patoka shelf by the Mill. Depending on available funds, storm sewer work needs to be performed on both 2 nd Street and St. Charles. 

Stormwater Coordinator Chad Mundy presented 7 ERUs from April, which were approved by the board. There were 7 permitted sites on the IDEM Monthly Report, all of which were inspected. At the Jasper High School site, the main objective is to get the north bank stabilized and try to get some temporary seeding in. Mundy said that the best defense against erosion is to prevent it from starting, which is why be targets vegetation first. 

There was a meeting on the North Ridge 2 site to discuss the basin. Activity at the Archangel development on the south side is expected to begin soon, although it has experienced delays. Mundy said the Jasper Electrical Substation site on 36 th Street is making good progress. There was also one rain event with 3.1 inches of rain. 
 
In Illicit Discharge and Spills, Mundy reviewed a property on 15 th Street with a sump pump complaint. There have been multiple unsuccessful outreach attempts, and next steps are being discussed. 

The annual IDEM report was turned in, and the department is scheduled for an audit on August 19. The audit will comprise everything except construction and post-construction elements. They will also visit the Street Department to confirm that pollutants are not entering the city’s stormwater system. Mundy will be conducting the Outfall inspection on the river next week, weather permitting, as it has been delayed for rising water levels. 

As part of public education, the Earth Day event at the hospital was well-attended. The Jasper Middle School science event on May 15 allowed 8 th graders to learn more about their water sources and how environmental factors affect it. The department also participated in the Jasper High School Field Day event with presentations at the Parklands. 

The Riverside Drive project is moving to the next step with meetings. If concerns are validated, it is possible that a project could be supported by 80/20 grant funding through the DNR. Neighbors have complained of erosion of the road’s shoulder, and officials are evaluating what the scope of any potential project might be. As of yet, the need for work and qualification for the grant are undetermined. 
 
For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.


- By Drew Hasselbring