Indiana American Water broke ground in Gary on Wednesday, September 8 to begin a $24.5 million water main replacement project. City of Gary Mayor Jerome Prince, community leaders, and project partners joined Indiana American Water to be included in the celebration and show their support for the project to improve Gary's water system.
“Investment in water infrastructure is critical to the success of Gary and all of Northwest Indiana. Water from Indiana American Water sourced from Lake Michigan is considered a premium product in the Region and is a key part of the high quality of life we depend on every day,” Mayor Prince said. “We appreciate the investments the company is making in our community.”
Older, broken, steel and cast-iron pipes will be replaced over the course of the next three years. A total of around five miles of water mains will be replaced, many of which were from the early 1900s. In addition, 11 miles of new water mains will be added, ranging from eight inches to 36 inches in diameter.
It will be constructed along 6th and 7th Avenues from Wabash Avenue to Kentucky Street, as well as several north-south streets in the area.
“In doing this, because of the way the community has grown and the way the alleys are structured, we're actually putting in over 11 miles of new water pipe from anywhere from an eight inch to 12-inch diameter, all the way up to 36 inches,” said President of Indiana American Water Matt Prine. “A lot of work is going to happen between now and next year. This is a multi-year project, and we ask for patience as we do our work and as our partners do their work.”
Prine is confident that this project will bring more economic growth and success to the city. He noted how the patience and understanding from the city will be needed, but the payoff will be worth it in the end. Others from the company shared the same thoughts as Prine as well.
“When this project is complete, we will replace more than 11 miles of 100-year-old transmission and distribution base with modern, upsized, protected mains, which will greatly enhance the ability of our customers and provide quality service to all of our Indiana American colleagues and partners for their quality work,” said Indiana American Water Engineering Manager Jacquelyne Byland.
Byland also said a significant reason for the project is to extend the quality of life for the water system.
Congressman Frank Mrvan expressed his gratitude for the project and how it will increase the quality of life for many Gary residents
“We want to have this memory in mind, to make sure that we progress with our infrastructure bill so the engineers that are here, the workers, the steel workers, everyone who's investing in those individuals that we're creating jobs for have a great quality of life here in the City of Gary,” said Mrvan. “I want to thank Indiana American Water for investing in the first district, and I’m looking forward to partnering with Mayor Prince, Indiana American Water, and the common council in the City of Gary going forward to make sure that we're investing in Americans and investing in the City of Gary and our residents.”
Mayor Prince is also proud of the multiple partnerships that the city has formed with Indiana American Water and the office of the First Congressional District of Indiana.
“It takes true partnerships and today, I'm glad to announce that the partnership between Indiana American Water and the City of Gary, and certainly the Congressman office, continues,” said Mayor Prince. “We're certainly proud for the future of the City of Gary.”
Prine explained that once the steel mills settled in Gary in 1901, a plan began to form for the city’s water system. Decades later, Indiana American Water bought the system in the early 2000s.
“We purchased that system, and since that time, we've made over $400 million of investment right here in Northwest Indiana,” Prine said.
This project continues that investment as Indiana American Water works to improve the water system of Northwest Indiana one step at a time.
7For more information on Indiana American Water, visit its website at www.amwater.com/inaw.
