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Wastewater

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1. What do I do if I have a sewage odor in my home?

During dry weather, the traps in your drains or sinks can dry out allowing gases to be released into your home. This often seems to happen with basement drains. Try adding some water to all of your drains. If the odor does not go away, If it is during normal business hours, please call the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 317-852-1114 or the Utility Billing Office at 317-852-1102. You will need to actually speak to a person to ensure that your sewage issue is addressed - do not leave a message. If it is after hours, please call 911 and they will dispatch the appropriate personnel. Be prepared to provide your name, telephone number, and address.

2. What items or products should not be flushed down a toilet or sink?

There are many items that should not go down your drains. Please do not put household hazardous waste, anything plastic, toys, anything metal, oils and greases, cat litter, or baby wipes down your drain. The household hazardous waste can endanger lives and upset the treatment plant processes when dumped down the drain. The other items listed can cause blockages in your sewer lateral, the sewer main, or damage pumps and motors. These items are ultimately screened out at the treatment plant and put in the trash. So please plan on recycling them or disposing of them in your trash at home. Thank you!

3. What is inflow?

Inflow is the water that enters a sanitary sewer system as the result of connections that allow stormwater or snow melt to enter the sanitary sewer system. In Brownsburg, the majority of the sanitary sewers and stormwater sewers are operated separately. If someone in one of these separated areas connects their gutters or sump pumps to the sanitary sewer instead of the storm sewer, it could cause flooding and backups of the sanitary sewer system. Furthermore, it is illegal to connect stormwater into the sanitary sewer system.

4. What size classification is Brownsburg's Wastewater Treatment Plant?

The Brownsburg Wastewater Treatment Plant is considered a large facility with a Class IV classification determined by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The current average daily design capacity is rated at 5.25 million gallons per day. 

5. Does Brownsburg maintain my sewer lateral?

Sewer laterals are considered private lines in Brownsburg. Therefore, it is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain the sewer lateral from the sewer main to their house. Tree near the sewer lateral will send out roots that can penetrate pipes and cause line blockages. This is especially prevalent in clay lines. Lateral cleaning should be completed on a regular basis. Sewer laterals do not last forever and will need replaced.

6. What is the correct procedure to follow if there is sewage overflowing into the street or my home?

If this occurs during normal business hours, please call the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 317-852-1114, or call the Utility Billing Office at 317-852-1102. You will need to actually speak to a person to ensure that your sewage issue will be addressed. Leaving a message will not address the issue. If this occurs outside of normal business hours, please call 911 and they will dispatch the appropriate personnel. Be prepared to provide your name, address and phone number.

7. What should I do if I hear an alarm or see a flashing light at a sewage lift station?

If this occurs during normal business hours, please call the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 317-852-1114 or call the Utility Billing Office at 317-852-1102. You will need to speak to a live person to address the issue. Leaving a message will not address the issue. If it is outside normal business hours, please call 911 and dispatch will address the appropriate personnel to fix the matter. Be prepared to provide your name, address and phone number.

Many of the lift stations are connected to a wireless alarm system. Please do not attempt to stop the alarms. If the audible alarm has not been stopped by town personnel within 30 minutes, please call again to verify that someone has responded to the alarm.

8. What do I do if my drains are draining slowly?

If this occurs during normal business hours, please call the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 317-852-1114 or call the Utility Billing Office at 317-852-1102. You will need to speak to a live person to ensure your problem is addressed appropriately. Leaving a messing will not address the issue. If this occurs outside normal business hours, please call 911 and they will dispatch the appropriate personnel. Be prepared to provide your name, address and phone number. Please check your sewer system first to verify that your lateral is working properly. There could be charges applied to your utility bill for call outs on a private lateral issue.

9. I have a lateral that wyes with a neighbor. Who is responsible for sewer repairs and maintenance?

If the blockage failure is upstream of the wye on your lateral, you are responsible for clearing the line. If there is a failure at the wye or further downstream, it will be in the best interest for all parties to work together and repair the line.

10. When is it necessary to have a grease trap?

Any commercial establishment that prepares food should have a grease trap. This also includes any commercial business and catering service activity conducted within a residential or commercial-zoned property.

11. What are possible sources of inflow?

Inflow sources include:

• Catch basins
• Field tiles
• Foundation/crawl space sump pumps
• Gutter and downspout connections
• Patio drains

12. Should I disconnect my inflow sources?

Yes, sources of stormwater and inflow should be routed to the nearest stormwater outlet in your area. Alternatives to reducing stormwater discharges into combined sewer areas where separate stormwater sewers do not exist include installing rain containment systems (rain barrels) or rain gardens.

13. What happens if I do not maintain my sewer lateral?

A sewer lateral that is not maintained will likely fail and back up onto your property, which can cause damage and is a health issue.

14. Does Brownsburg have combined sewers and overflows?

Yes, Brownsburg has combined sewers in the older sections of Town. Brownsburg also has one permitted combined sewer overflow channel that can discharge partially treated, mixed-stormwater and sanitary sewage into White Lick Creek. Brownsburg completed a storage tank in 2010 to reduce the likelihood of combined sewage overflows in the future.

15. How is the stormwater utility calculated?

Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) are used to assess the Stormwater Utility. It was determined that the average residential lot has a total of 2,900 square feet of impervious surfaces. An impervious surface is any surface that prevents water from penetrating the ground. Examples include buildings, driveways, parking lots, concrete surfaces, paved areas, gravel areas, tanks and any other features that do not allow rainfall to soak into the ground. The average square footage of impervious surface area is known as an equivalent residential unit.

Each residential property within the Town is charged for one ERU per month at a pre-defined rate. Non-residential properties are also charged based on the amount of impervious surface on their property. The total amount of impervious surface area on a non-residential parcel of land is divided by 2900 square feet (one ERU) to determine the number of ERU’s associated with a given parcel. These properties are then charged a pre-defined rate per ERU per month. For example, a commercial property with 11,600 square feet of impervious area would be charged for 4 ERUs (11,600 square feet / 2,900 square feet) and would pay a monthly stormwater utility fee of four times the residential rate.

The Town’s authority for collecting the Stormwater Utility is found in Chapter 56 of the Town of Brownsburg’s Code of Ordinances and Indiana Code 36-9-23.

16. What services will I receive as a result of the stormwater utility? How are the stormwater utility funds spent?

The Stormwater Utility is designed to provide a broad range of services related to stormwater quantity and quality such as public education, storm system maintenance, inspections, management, reducing the amount of stormwater pollution associated with illegal connections and discharges and public drainage improvements throughout the Town. These services might not directly affect your individual site at a given time, but these services must be broadly funded from all parcel owners within the Town to collectively have a positive effect on stormwater and water quality.

17. Who has to pay the stormwater utility?

All properties within the Town of Brownsburg are subject to the stormwater utility.

18. I pay drainage fees to Hendricks County. Do I have to pay the stormwater utility fee as well?

Yes. Town residents currently paying ditch or other assessments to Hendricks County will continue to pay for those assessments. The Hendricks County Surveyor’s Office is responsible for the maintenance of County Regulated Drains, even when they are within the Town. Monies from the County Regulated drain assessments are paid solely to the County for management of regulated drains under their jurisdiction. Monies from the Stormwater Utility is solely for the management and maintenance of Town owned and operated stormwater facilities, infrastructure, and programs.

19. How do I prepare for sewer cleaning?

Residents should receive a sewer cleaning notice that explains what to expect while their sewers are being cleaned. Some simple tips to keep in mind are to close toilet lids, remove sewer clean out caps, and make sure the sewer vent is working properly. Sewer cleanings are usually done in a day but sometimes may take more due to sewer conditions.