State investigates groundwater issues near Amazon, GM projects
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As Amazon Web Services and General Motors ramp up construction on massive projects in St. Joseph County, water resources are once again a topic of concern for local residents who say their wells are losing water.
Following complaints from residents east of New Carlisle, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is investigating a handful of residential wells to determine if nearby construction projects are to blame for lowering groundwater levels.
According to a DNR spokesman, the agency’s Division of Water is formally investigating three residential wells east of New Carlisle near the construction of the giant Amazon and GM plants.
DNR investigators have also concluded an investigation into three wells around Hudson Lake, which is west of New Carlisle. DNR spokesman Marty Benson said investigators determined those wells had groundwater levels “consistent with historic levels, meaning the failures were not caused by construction occurring on the east side of New Carlisle.”
The state’s investigation comes as St. Joseph County officials are increasing their testing mechanisms for water level monitoring. In a May 13 redevelopment commission meeting, the county’s executive director for economic development, Bill Schalliol, said county contractors are installing more monitoring wells around the build sites.
However, the recent DNR investigations could be the first of many in the New Carlisle area as construction on the two major projects gets underway in full. Especially since the St. Joseph County data center project presents uncharted territory for Amazon in terms of water level management, according to Schalliol.
“They’ve had smaller projects where they haven’t had water to this level. They haven’t had construction to this level. This is really kind of a learning lab for them and for us and for the contractors on site,” Schalliol said.
The region has a plentiful aquifer and groundwater due to its history as marshland that was turned into farmland by settlers as they moved west. As Amazon and GM build in the area, they’ve often had to remove water from the ground in order to properly dig and install infrastructure.
That process is called “dewatering” and companies need permits from the county’s drainage board in order to do it.
Amazon and GM last year committed to installing monitoring wells and wellhead protections. The companies also signed an agreement with St. Joseph County bodies stipulating they’re only allowed to use 24 millions gallons of water a day from the Kankakee Aquifer.
A spokesperson for Amazon did not return an interview request from Inside INdiana Business.
Water laws
Indiana law protects wells owned by individual landowners if nearby development dries up water tables. If there’s a groundwater issue, landowners can submit a written request to the DNR’s Division of Water to investigate.
The Division of Water then looks at whether the dewatering is due to development or caused by natural fluctuation in water levels.
If nearby building is to blame, the Division of Water has the power to temporarily halt dewatering until the at-fault party either provides an alternative supply of water or pays for the well owner to build a new well that produces the same amount of water as the old one.
St. Joseph County is contracting with Peerless Midwest to consult on water usage issues and the parties recently met with Amazon on the topic, Schalliol said.
“We’ve been working tirelessly to put together a plan for additional monitoring wells, additional points of study in this corridor so we don’t have negative effects on residential neighborhoods,” Schalliol said.
Responding to Schalliol, St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission President Dennis Jordan said water usage needs to be a top focus.
“The people I hear from in the New Carlisle area, this is maybe the No. 1 concern they have. So I’m very grateful we’re addressing it again,” said Jordan.
In the immediate future, county contractors have to do a little more dewatering to put in about a mile-long sewer line near Edison and Smilax roads.
Amazon is also seeking approval from the Indiana Department of Economic Management to fill in nearly 10 acres of wetlands and streams on land near State Road 2 and Strawberry Road.