IMPROVEMENTS
Pictured above are Danny Baker, Jordon Amacker and Austin Knous recently spending a fun day crawdad hunting at the “Creek” (Borum Run Ditch). One of the boys had "never done anything like this before". They caught enough to cook them up and eat them.
What a perfect example of why we should all be striving for improved water quality.
Borum Run Ditch (along with Kohne, and Holthouse Ditches) have shown significant water quality improvement in the 5 years that Decatur has had a Storm Water Program.
To read full report click here: Decatur’s Storm Water Program Water Quality Assessment
(July 2009)
(above) The Storm Water and Wastewater Departments cost shared a project to extend the City’s sanitary sewer 2,043 feet to the south end of Decatur.
This project will eliminate failed septic tanks from approximately 7 residential properties and a reception hall that were found to be making a substantial negative impact on the water quality of Borum Run Ditch.
Above is jack & bore being done to bring sewer line under old rail bed behind Adams Memorial Hospital.
(Winter 2008)
Pictured above is view looking into Monmouth Road
hydro-separator unit showing captured floatables and oil.
Three devices known as hydro-separators, which remove sediment, floatable objects, and pollutants from storm water before that water is sent into the St. Mary’s River, were recently installed in Decatur.
They will help minimize the negative impact storm water can have on our rivers. (Spring 2005)
These hydro-separator units are self-operating. They have no moving parts and are entirely gravity driven, requiring only the hydraulic energy available within the storm water flow. Units have very large sump capacities relative to their design flows, and only need cleaned out with standard vactor truck approximately 1-4 times per year. This cleaning operation eliminates workers exposure to the materials captured in the units.
Pictured above are City workers with contracted vactor truck company cleaning out captured floatable, oil and sediment from Monmouth Road hydro-separator.
The City of Decatur is striving to improve the water quality of the St Mary’s River.
In 1984 Decatur eliminated fifteen combined sewer overflows. With a two phase 9 million dollar project, two more were eliminated in 2005 and the remaining one will be gone by 2009.
City employees using Vactor Truck to do their annual catch basin sump cleaning. The sumps remove silt and debris from storm water and prevent it from entering the river.
This is one of many “Good Housekeeping” activities the City of Decatur does to help prevent storm water pollution. (Spring 2007)
City employees install 600 ft. of new storm sewer to replace broken down lines located between Parkview Drive and Mercer Ave. (Summer 2008)
Wastewater employee, Grant Knaub, showing 60 feet of tree roots that he and co-worker, Bob Gavin, pulled out of the storm sewer behind a house at 1053 Grenelef Court.
Repair was then made to storm sewer to stop roots from reentering pipe. (Summer 2005)
