Think of an Olympic swimming pool, 164 feet in length, 82 feet in width, and 9 feet deep, filled with approximately 660,000 gallons of clean, clear, chlorinated water.
Now imagine 1,442 Olympic swimming pools, laid end to end—basically a concrete ditch 45 miles long—but filled instead with sewage: Roughly 952 million gallons of it.
That’s the volume of wastewater which the Chesterton Utility treated this year. And still the plant used only 57 percent of its capacity.
For Larry Brandt, president of the Utility Service Board, that’s an achievement worth making note of.
Brandt took a moment Monday night, Dec. 16, as he customarily does at the Service Board’s last meeting of the year, to give credit where credit is due for the Utility’s stalwart (and general unregarded) service to the community.
To the Utility’s employees, with a special nod to Lab Chief Leah Lembacher: “The strength of an organization is measured by the strength of the workforce, the people who do their jobs day after day, with expertise, dedication, and loyalty. 2024 saw another year of excellence in employee performance, capped by Leah’s earning her IDEM Wastewater Operator Class IV license this past August. Our thanks to Leah and the entire workforce for a successful year.”
To Superintendent Dave Ryan: “It is my distinct honor to be able every year to publicly recognize our superintendent for his leadership, management, and financial skills. Truly he is the largest contributor to our successful year.”
To the Town Council: “We would not be successful without the continued and unwavering support of the Town Council and especially our liaison, Member Sharon Darnell. It is abundantly clear that she continues to effectively represent the Utility’s interest before the Town Council.”
To his colleagues on the Service Board: “There is no success, no vision, or no progress toward excellence in customer service without a cooperative, collaborative, knowledgeable, effective board that oversees the organization and exhibits the necessary leadership to provide daily utility service to the community. For many years we have continued to share a common vision for the Utility and have worked with each other to achieve our goals through a diversity of ideas with the ability to unite behind solutions and directions that contribute to our commitment to the community. It continues to be an honor and a privilege to work with the people sitting with me here on the dais.”
And finally to the residents of Chesterton and the Utility’s outside customers: “As with any public-centered service organization, the Utility relies on the good will and support of the community it serves. We are fortunate to have and give much thanks to the citizens of Chesterton and our outside customers for their ongoing support. The Utility was created to serve them with a commitment to excellence. They are the reason we exist and we very much appreciate their continued support.”
Brandt then cited some key metrics:
- GALLONS TREATED: 952 million (compared to 893 million in 2023, an increase of 6.6 percent).
- CAPACITY USED: 57 percent (compared to 54 percent, an increase of 5.5 percent).
- INCOME: $5.6 million (compared to $5.4 million, an increase of 3.7 percent).
- OPERATING EXPENSES: $3.8 million (compared to $3.6 million, an increase of 5.5 percent).
- RAINFALL: 42 inches (compared to 37 inches, an increase of 12 percent).
Brandt’s colleagues concurred with his assessment “We’ve had a really good year,” Member Scot McCord remarked. “Financially we’re in great shape.”
“There’s a lot we accomplished,” Member John Schnadenberg agreed.
“I think we’ve done good things for the town and that’s what the board is for,” Member Andie Michel added. “We don’t get any complaining from anybody anymore. So obviously (Superintendent Ryan) and his team are doing a fine job.”
