Raw sewage overflow alert

Here’s another one raw sewage overflow alert for Indianapolis.  The city states in its e-mail alert that,

Even in dry weather, it is best to avoid contact with urban streams and teach children to stay away.

Yikes.

(another) raw sewage overflow alert

You know the drill.  Stay out of the Indianapolis waterways cause there be poop in them. This is somewhat strange as I checked how much precipitation we’ve experienced recently and our  accumulated precipitation, month to date for 2/10/09 (the day of the alert), was only .24 inches.  Hardly seems like enough precipitation to enable a sewage overflow.  I know we’ve had a lot of snow melting, but it was gone before last weekend.  Something doesn’t seem right.

Sailing the raw sewage seas in Indianapolis

I get e-mail alerts from the city when our 100+ year old sewage system becomes overwhelmed with rainwater, melting snow, etc.  This should be a source of embarrassment for the city and the surrounding areas that we would ignore this infrastructure problem for so long.  Apparently, there is a 2006 agreement with the Feds to overhaul the system.  What irritates me is that we have to wait until 2026 to see a ‘significant’ reduction in raw sewage overflows.  2026?!  Are you kidding me?  I will almost be 50 years old when this problem is ‘significantly’ reduced.  sad.     

• $1.73 billion by December 2025 to significantly reduce raw sewage overflows from the combined sewer system;
• $50.4 million by December 2015 to eliminate chronic overflows from seven locations in the separate, sanitary sewer system; and
• $3.5 million by December 2010 on supplemental environmental projects to eliminate septic systems in two neighborhoods.
  For more information or to view a list of planned projects, visit

I encourage you to sign-up here to receive these alerts and then get mad as hell whenever you receive these e-mails.  Come spring time, you’re going to be surprised and sick to your stomach at how often this occurs.  Raw sewage overflows, unfortunately, are nothing new to Indianapolis residents and that is the reason why I feel compelled to post this information. 

From today’s e-mail alert:

When it rains or snow melts, the 100-year old sewers in the older parts of Indianapolis can overflow, sendinguntreated sewage and rainwater into our waterways. Today, weather conditions indicate a strong possibility that precipitation may cause overflows to occur or that overflows have occurred in the past 72hours. If the precipitation occurs as snow, overflows may occur days or weeks later, when temperatures near or exceed freezing.

Please avoid all contact with water downstream of combined sewers. Swallowing or hand-to-mouth contact with sewage-contaminated water could make you sick. Signs are posted along our waterways to identify more than 130 combined sewer outfalls and areas where contact with the water could be hazardous to your health. Even in dry weather, it is best to avoid contact with urban streams and teach children to stay away.

The affected areas include:
White River downstream from 56th Street, Fall Creek downstream from Keystone Avenue, Little Eagle Creek downstream from Michigan Street, Eagle Creek downstream from the confluence of Little Eagle Creek, Pogues Run downstream from 21st Street, Pleasant Run downstream from Kitley Avenue, State Ditch downstream from Southern Avenue, Lick Creek downstream from Madison Avenue, and Bean Creek downstream from I-65

The City encourages you to take the following protective actions:
- Avoid contact withurban streams, especially during and three days after rain or snowmelts.
- Alter recreational activities to ones that do not contact water. For example, walkingor bikingalong a stream rather than swimming, wading or water skiing.
- Always wash your hands after contacting water in urban streams, especially before eating, drinking, smoking or preparing food.
- Use a waterless hand sanitizer at outings that occur near urban streams.

The city’s Clean Streams-Healthy Neighborhoods program is working to improve our waterways and reduce and eliminate sewage overflows. For example, new flow equalization basins at our treatment plants and other sewer improvements have reduced overflows by hundreds of millions of gallons each year. Overflows will be reduced even more as the city’s long-term plan is implemented.

The city’s Clean Streams-Healthy Neighborhoods program is working to improve our waterways and reduce and eliminate sewage overflows. For example, new flow equalization basins at our treatment plants and other sewer improvements have reduced overflows by hundreds of millions of gallons each year. Overflows will be reduced even more as the city’s long-term plan is implemented.

www.indycleanstreams.org.

Harrison, Kleeman and Miller

The first Friday of every month, IDADA (Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association) presents “First Fridays.” Twenty five downtown venues open their galleries, spaces and artists studios to the public.

This month’s show at the Harrison Center (HCA) is entitled, “Harrison, Kleeman and Miller.” The reception runs from 6-9pm and is located at 1515 N. Delaware (on the southeast corner of 16th and Delaware). For all of you attorneys out there, at 5pm there is a free Continuing Legal Education Session on art and law presented by Sally Zweig. Come for the CLE’s and stay for the art!

If you are looking for something to do in Indy this Friday consider a “First Friday” event. It is a great way to get some exposure to your local arts and artisans (and grab a free glass of wine!). If you come to the Harrison Center feel free to pop into my studio (studioamf) and say ‘Hi.’

Cuddly Graffiti

Subversive knitters, crocheters, and textile artists unite! “Knitta Please” has found it’s way to Indianapolis. The goal is to create soft and fuzzy graffiti, non-destructive vandalism. Check out www.knittaplease.com for photos of these yarn bombs. Additional information listed below:

Where: Our base is the gymnasium at Harrison Center for the Arts (1505 N. Delaware, Indianapolis , IN 46202 ).
Who: The gang leader/curator is Indianapolis based artist, Beth Eisinger
When: Our rendevouz time is every first Friday of the month (beginning on February 6th) up until the first Friday of May when our first “bombing” will take place.
What: The plan is to first vandalize the entire inside of the Harrison Center (we have permission for this, by the way) with knit graffiti.

What to Expect: In the initial meeting on February 6th (First Friday) knitters will have the chance to meet each other and will have the opportunity to scout out the building and stake out their territory for their first project. Beth will also be bringing numerous images from past Knit Gangs and graffiti artists for inspiration. This time will also be used to brainstorm a large collaborative knit project to work on collectively during our following meetings. Artists will also have a chance to think about his/her “tag” or symbol that will be used to identify his/her artwork.

Additionally, Beth will be holding a pre-meeting on Saturday, January 31st at 7:30 pm at the Harrison Center for anyone who may be interested in working more closely with Beth in making this event and gang happen. The meeting will be a time of crazy brainstorming and planning for what this gang should be called and could become. Bring project ideas and anything related that you are working on!

If you are at all interested in joining or just want more information, write Beth at bethjeisinger@gmail.com or call her at (317)910-9513.

The Knitters are Coming!