INDIANAPOLIS — Citizens Energy Group has plans to pull more water from the Eagle Creek Reservoir to supply the LEAP district and the city of Lebanon, but how that water will get to Lebanon has stirred concern among residents and local officials.
Citizens Energy says it has committed to providing 25 million gallons a day to Lebanon Utilities by 2031 as part of the Lebanon Water Supply Program. To do it, the company plans to pump water from its Indianapolis supply, which includes Eagle Creek Reservoir.
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Eagle Creek Reservoir, known for its beauty and natural resources, contains about 8 billion gallons of water, Citizens said. The utility currently withdraws about 10 million gallons a day; the program could raise that to 11 to 13 million gallons per day.
"The program as a whole includes a couple of different expansions to different intakes on sources, but it's also about being able to move the water around,” Ben Easley, a spokesperson for Citizens Energy Group, said.
Members of the Eagle Creek Park Advisory Committee said they first learned about a proposed pipe and plant expansion from people who live near Eagle Creek. It came after they got letters in the mail letting them know that their land would have pipelines going through it. While the additional volume Citizens says it will take is not a huge increase, council members worry it could still have major impacts on the ecosystem and the overall water supply.
"One of the biggest concerns that we have is clearly there is a plan that they are acting on, and decisions have been made, we don't know what that plan is,” Lou Ann Baker with the Eagle Creek Park Advisory Committee said.
"We fear that dramatic changes to the withdraw or influx of water here will have an impact on the ecosystem,” Martin Risch, a member of the Eagle Creek Park Advisory Committee and a retired hydrologist, said.
One unanswered question is where the 25 million gallons of water will go each day. State Sen. J.D. Ford, who represents the area at the Statehouse, said he hopes Citizens Energy or Lebanon Utilities will be more transparent.
"We can generate electricity, but we can't really generate water, right?” Sen. Ford said. “This is a precious commodity. It's a valuable resource, and we need to be strategic about that. "
Residents said they hope Citizens Energy Group will hold a town hall to discuss how the expansion will affect the community and the regional water supply. Sen. Ford said he is working with the company to find a time for the meeting.
