TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The board of sanitary commissioners held a public hearing Tuesday on a resolution for the city of Terre Haute’s main lift station project.

The project is part of the city’s overall compliance with the sanitary district and sewage works. This is one project in a series of projects in the city’s long-term control plan.

Dennis Otton, a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans is serving as bond counsel to Terre Haute’s Sanitary District said the current lift station is very old and overdue for replacement. He said it is however a key element of the sanitary system.

“On May 16, 2023, the Sanitary Board adopted what we call a declaratory resolution. Which is the first step in authorizing and approving this type of project,” Otten said. “Today (June 6, 2023) we had the public hearing on the project and adopted what we call a confirmatory resolution, which is the final step in the approval process.”

City Engineer, Marcus Maurer said the main lift station is a key part of the city’s sewer.

“Probably 70% of Terre Haute’s sewage passes through the main lift station. We have an existing lift station from the sixties. It’s really passed its useful life and we do need a new lift station. It’s also a key part of our long-term control plan. So, it will give us the ability to not only get the everyday sewage flow to the wastewater treatment plant for treatment, but it will also allow us to control that flow better, send it to high-rate clarification, pump at the rates we need, and get the water where we need it so that we can comply with the long-term control plan,” Maurer said.

Maurer noted that currently, the lift station can push 48 million gallons of water each day. The new lift station is said to push 96 million gallons per day.

Officials say the next step is the bidding process. They expect bids by August or early September. From there they will finalize the financing package, a project that could cost up to 90 million dollars. Maurer hopes to have the project started in early October.