Citizens Plans Water System Improvements
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowCitizens Energy Group is planning a $114 million water system improvement initiative. The utility says a recently-approved rate hike will fund the two-year effort. Officials hope the investment will help reduce the more than 700 water main breaks per year in the Indianapolis area. April 10, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Citizens Energy Group announced today it will invest nearly $114 million in its water system over the next two years. The investment will reduce costly water main breaks, expand sources of supply and improve water treatment plants. The investments will be funded by a water rate increase recently approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) that raised the average residential customer bill less than $1 per month.
Years of under investment by previous owners has resulted in a water system that experiences 700 main breaks per year, wasting three billion gallons of water, or the equivalent of half of Geist Reservoir. Since acquiring the system in 2011, Citizens has invested $95 million to improve system reliability, water quality, and water treatment technology.
“We have begun to make progress modernizing the water system, but much work remains. The water distribution system, some of which is more than 100 years old, continues to be plagued by main breaks that not only waste water, but also destroy roads and interrupt service to tens of thousands of customers,” said Carey Lykins, President & CEO of Citizens Energy Group. “The investments we will make over the next two years will reduce waste, improve reliability and create or support hundreds of construction jobs.”
Among the projects to be completed over the next two years are a new ground water treatment plant near Morse Reservoir; stabilization of the banks of the historic Central Canal; a booster station to improve water pressure on the northwest side; and several large water main replacement projects.
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About Citizens Energy Group
Citizens Energy Group is a Public Trust providing safe and reliable utility services to about 400,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Indianapolis area. The Public Trust means its utilities are managed only for the benefit of customers and the community. Additional information is available online at www.CitizensEnergyGroup.com – Facebook – Twitter – YouTubeSource: Citizens Energy Group