The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, continuing its examination of the state's vital resources to bolster business growth, put forth the findings of a crucial water study on Monday. The study underscores Indiana's strong water supply but points out the need for improved management to sustain it. According to the study referenced by Inside Indiana Business, the distribution of water resources across the state is uneven, suggesting a future approach will need to be finely tuned to handle discrepancies.
The report, issued a decade after a comparable study, highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive statewide water management plan. With the understanding of Indiana's water supply, the Texas-based environmental firm Intera Inc. detailed the necessity for such planning. “There is no shortage in the state. What there might be is a management question and management tasks but that's about it,” project leader Jack Wittman informed WTHITV.
Emphasizing the role of water in state prosperity, Greg Ellis, vice president of the Indiana Chamber, alluded to the study as a stepping stone toward achieving the infrastructure and energy goals laid out in the chamber's Indiana Prosperity 2035 plan. “The Indiana chamber has prioritized the state having superior infrastructure and energy through its latest visioning plan for the state. … The specific water goal is to invest in a framework and planning to address fresh and wastewater needs on a statewide and regional basis to meet current and future demand for economic development,” Ellis delineated to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Recommendations outlined by the study include the creation of water planning regions based on watersheds and the need for regions to independently assess water needs for present and future scenarios. With a system akin to one utilized in Minnesota, the state could then guide regional water planning efforts with a larger water plan as the final product. “There is no shortage in the state. What there might be is a management question and management tasks but that's about it,” Wittman reiterated, speaking again to WTHITV.
Wittman noted that Central Indiana, with its highly variable water supply, requires careful planning for development. In contrast, Southern Indiana is better suited for large-scale development due to its established infrastructure, while the northern region has ample water resources but also needs proper planning.
