HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-27-2012 City of South Bend Listed Among Harvard University's 111 Bright Ideas In Government SpU TH 8F
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CITY OF SOUTH BEND
PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2012
Contact: Debra Johnson, Director of Communications
Phone: 574-235-5853
CITY OF SOUTH BEND LISTED AMONG HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S 111
BRIGHT IDEAS IN GOVERNMENT
SOUTH BEND—The City of South Bend was recognized as one of Harvard University
Bright Ideas for the City's Combined Sewer Overflow Control Technology System
(CSO). The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard
University's John F. Kennedy School of Government listed South Bend among 111
innovative government initiatives.
"The City's CSO system combines cutting-edge technology with terrific human capital
and it has allowed for national recognition," said Mayor Pete Buttigieg. "It has helped the
City of South Bend innovate to deliver better outcomes for citizens truly the goal of
smarter cities."
Programs were selected from all levels of government including school districts,
county, city, state, and federal agencies as well as public-private partnerships. A team of
policy experts from academic and public sectors evaluated and selected each program.
South Bend's CSO system keeps sewage from backing up in basements during heavy
rains or from overflowing combined sewage into the St. Joseph River. The system has
reduced dry weather overflows by 95 percent and has the potential to reduce wet weather
overflows by 23 percent per EPA SWMM model.
"It is nice to be recognized as one of the innovative ideas," said Gary Gilot, Interim
Director of the City of South Bend's Public Works Department. "Locally I would like to
recognize the major roles of Patrick Henthorn the City's CSOnet Project Manager, Luis
Montestruque of Emnet as technology entrepreneur, and Mike Lemon of Notre Dame's
Electrical Engineering department as one of the research IP guys who developed this
concept."
The City of South Bend designed CSO in order to meet federal environmental mandates
on combined storm and sanitary sewer overflows. The City installed real-time
monitoring and control "smart valves" technology. The program uses distributed sensing
1400 COUNTY-CITY BUILDING•227 W.IEFFERSON BOULEVARD•SOUTH BEND,INDIANA 46601
PHONE 574/235-9261• FAx 574/235-9892
SpU TH 8F
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CITY OF SOUTH BEND
PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
and control logic which optimizes performance of infrastructure already in place, saving
the city an estimated$114 million over a conventional approach. The City is currently
seeing about two-thirds of the wet weather potential benefit.
Bright Ideas are showcased on the Ash Center's Government Innovators Network, an
online platform for practitioners and policymakers to share innovative public policy
solutions. To learn more about Bright Ideas visit:
http://www.ash.harvard.edu/ash/Home/News-Events/Press-
Releases/hmovations/Harvard-s-Ash-C enter-Announces-111-Bri ght-Ideas-in-
Government/2012-Bright-Ideas
1400 COUNTY-CITY BUILDING•227 W.JEFFERSON BOULEVARD•SOUTH BEND,INDIANA 46601
PHONE 574/235-9261• FAx 574/235-9892