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Patrick M. McMahon, P.E. <br />Director, Public Works <br />CITY of SOUTH BEND <br />PETER I NEMETH, Mayor <br />COUNTY -CITY BUILDING SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601 <br />Ntembers of the Common Council <br />South Bend, Indiana <br />Gentlemen: <br />Division of <br />Engineering <br />March 21, 1977 <br />Reply To: <br />The concept of retention basins is considerably more advanced in this city <br />than in the rest of the country. The current approach to handling storm flow <br />is to separate the sanitary and the storm sewer system. Typically, the storm <br />sewers then empty into a river or lake. Unfortunately, the storm sewage is <br />often "heavier" in terms of sewage parameters such as suspended solids. There <br />are a growing group of people who believe this storm sewage should be treated <br />or kept from entering the river. The concept sounds idealistic but insofar <br />as it is realizable, we believe it is worth pursuing. <br />The City of South Bend has essentially a combined (storm and sanitary) sewer <br />system (approximately 70% of the system). The cost to replace this system <br />with a separated system is estimated at 90 million dollars. However, by the <br />use of retention basins, much of this cost may be avoided. This is due to <br />reduction in the size of the pipes used for storm sewers. More importantly, <br />it addresses the problem of polluted storm flows to the river as occurs in a <br />separated system and reduces the likelihood of bypassing in a combined system. <br />To summarize this aspect of retention basins: <br />1. They provide a cost - effective approach to the storm flow problems. <br />2. The concepts of retention basins will be more widespread as the <br />costs of separation of sewers becomes more firm. <br />3. South Bend is leading the way in the development of this system. <br />One of the major problems associated with retention basins is the conflict with <br />other uses in an urban setting. That is, people typically prefer to build <br />houses or apartments on their land rather than retention basins. There are <br />many areas which have been tentatively selected as retention basin sites which <br />for a lack of money or other reason, the City was unable to develop these sites. <br />In one case, a wholesale distributor built on a proposed site (South Bend Drug). <br />Now, the City is planning to spend approximately $250,000 to pipe storm water on <br />