Fort Wayne Closes State Revolving Fund Loan 7/12/16

State makes it possible for the City of Fort Wayne to make needed Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements.

INDIANAPOLIS—The City of Fort Wayne closed a low-interest loan, in the amount of $108,000,000, through the Indiana Finance Authority’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Loan Program to finance needed improvements to its wastewater system and treatment plant. By utilizing the SRF Loan Program instead of securing a traditional loan, the City of Fort Wayne will save an estimated $23,339,619 of interest expense over the life of the loan.

Construction of upgrades and improvements to the Fort Wayne wastewater system and treatment plant were financed by the CWSRF. The CWSRF program is administered by the Indiana Finance Authority with joint funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Indiana. The project includes rehabilitation in the sewer system, improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, improvements to the wet weather ponds and the construction of a deep tunnel to store higher flows during wet weather. Fort Wayne has considered climate resiliency by including components that are intentionally designed in anticipation of greater rainfall intensity in future years. The project will reduce operational costs of the wastewater system and treatment plant and provide water quality and health benefits by reducing combined sewer overflow events to the St Mary’s, St Joseph and Upper Maumee Rivers thereby improving the environment for community residents and businesses in Fort Wayne.

CWSRF programs operate around the country to provide states and communities the resources necessary to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our valuable water resources nationwide.

At Fort Wayne City Utilities we are proud of the work we do to protect our drinking supply from contamination from cross-connections or backflow events.  We rely on the community of Certified Backflow Prevention Device Testers to help us ensure the safety and reliability of the water system.  We've created this webpage as a location where you can find resources, tips and tools to help you do the vital work to support the health and safety of City Utilities' customers.  Here are the most recent updates and information you need to know:

 Enforcement Changes -- effective January 2019

Submitting Test Results

City Utilities contracts with Aqua Backflow, a private company that will receive, maintain and track backflow device test results. Aqua Backflow operates a secure website at www.TrackMyBackflow.com where you must register and submit backflow tests electronically. Each test entry will cost $9.95 -- payable directly to Aqua Backflow.  If you are not currently registered and need to submit test results, please review the attached brochure.

-- Need to submit test results for a newly installed backflow device? Devices that are new installations or existing devices that have never been reported to City Utilities will not be found on the website. Therefore, you will not be able to enter your test results and you must email the report. The device will be added into the system for you, and you will be provided the Hazard ID # so you may enter the test results as usual. To ensure the new device is processed quickly, you may email the test report to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All new devices are reviewed by City Utilities before being added to Trackmybackflow.com.

Need Water Turned on by City Utilities for Backflow Testing?

If a customer has had their water disconnected due to non-compliance or has an irrigation meter in a pit that is turned off and has contacted you to perform testing, you – not the customer – must contact City Utilities to have the water turned on for testing of the backflow device. Call City Utilities Water Maintenance and Service Department at 260-427-2476 to schedule an “On/Off for Backflow Testing” service appointment at least one business day in advance. These appointments can be scheduled Monday through Friday; weekend appointments are not available.

FOR NON-COMPLIANCE

A City Utilities’ Field Service Representative will meet you on site to turn the water on for testing and will wait 15 minutes while you perform the testing. If you require more than 15 minutes, the Representative will leave to go to their next appointment while you perform the testing. After the testing is complete, you must call the Representative on their cell phone to inform them of the results. If the device passes testing, the water will be left on. If the device fails testing, the Representative will return to the site (unless they are still there) and turn the water back off to protect the safety of the public water supply. The results of the test should be submitted immediately to prevent the service from being disconnected again. If you cannot keep the scheduled appointment time, you should call Water Maintenance and Service to reschedule.

FOR IRRIGATION METERS IN PITS

If the customer does not want to leave the water on after testing is complete: A City Utilities’ Field Service Representative will meet you on site to turn the water on for testing and will wait 15 minutes while you perform the testing, and then will shut the water back off. The customer’s account will stay in the “Seasonal Off” status and the normal trip fee will not be charged.

If the customer does want to leave water on after testing is complete: A City Utilities’ Field Service Representative will meet you on site to turn the water on for testing and will wait 15 minutes while you perform the testing, and then will leave the water on. The customer’s account will change to the “Seasonal On” status and the normal trip fee will be charged.

TEMPORARY WATER METERS

Need a temporary water source to test a mobile backflow device that will be utilized on a temporary/construction meter? Call City Utilities Water Maintenance and Service Department at 260-427-1182 to schedule a time to utilize a City Utilities hydrant to test the backflow device at our facility.

Enforcement

 

Access To On-Line Maps

If you are ever unsure about which water utility serves the location where you are preforming a backflow preventer test or you need help finding a customer's location, you can find more information through City Utilities' GIS interactive mapping system.  If it is your first time using the mapping system, you may call 260-427-2543 to receive basic instruction by phone or you may access written instructions.

Tags, Forms and Printable Resources

-- Need Inspection Tags? Templates and printing instructions may be found here.

-- Need Backflow Prevention Device Test Forms?  Choose from a  Fillable PDF form or Excel version.

Newsletters

City Utilities publishes a periodic newsletter with information that may be of interest to businesses that do testing of backflow devices and those that may have backflow devices. Recent newsletters are found below:

• Backflow Newsletter - April 2019
• Backflow Newsletter - July 2018
• Backflow Newsletter - February 2018

Fort Wayne City Utilities is committed to protecting the quality of our rivers and to keeping the community informed about events that may affect them.

Click here to subscribe to receive notice of combined sewer overflow events.

About a third of the city of Fort Wayne is served by combined sewers.  Combined sewers collect sewage from homes, businesses and industries and carry it to the Water Pollution Control (sewage treatment) Plant for treatment.  When it is not raining, all the sewage goes to to the plant and is treated.  When it rains or when snow is melting, these combined sewers also collect and carry rain water runoff or melting snow.  Sometimes the sewers cannot carry all of the combined wastewater flow so the sewer system allows some combined sewage to be discharged to the rivers.  When sewers were being designed and built in the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s these combined sewer overflows were an acceptable way to design sewer system.  Following the implementation of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s, combined sewers could no longer be built and communities with combined sewers are now required to make significant investments to reduce these combined sewer overflow events.

Fort Wayne's combined sewer overflow outfall locations are shown on the map below:  Click for larger map.

2018 Fort Wayne CSO Annual Notice

The spreadsheet below contains information about combined sewer overflow events that may have occurred within the past 7-days including locations where overflows have occurred, times when the overflows began and ended and an estimate of the amount of sewage released. This information is updated each week on Wednesday.

CSO Overflow Data

The information published on this web page is for general information purposes only and is not to be considered a final report for purposes of satisfying any applicable legal requirements.  While Fort Wayne City Utilities endeavors to provide accurate and up to date information, it makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, with respect to the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information presented.  Formal monthly reports of operations (MROs) are provided to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and may be accessed through its website.

Two associated projects in the area of Golfview Drive and Flaugh Road will improve the flow of sewage from west of Fort Wayne and will increase sewer capacity.  A new sewer lift station will be constructed on Flaugh Road along with a new force main to link the lift station with an existing sewer.  Some of the sewage currently handled by a lift station on Golfview Drive will be routed to the new Flaugh Road lift station via a new force main between the two stations.  Construction is expected to begin around April 1, 2018.

The Construction Manager for this project is Adam Beougher.  Adam may be reached at 260-427-5576 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Meet the Contractor Meeting invitation - February 27, 2018

Project Fact Sheet

Project Area Map