News

POTENTIAL DISRUPTION IN SERVICE

Jul 20, 2021

ATTENTION:  In the coming weeks, we will be transitioning to the new water tower.  There is a possibility of interruptions in service until the transition is complete.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  PLEASE LOOK FOR UPDATES AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROCESS HERE, as well as the Town Hall’s Facebook page, and the North Salem Chatter pages on Facebook.  Thank you!

2020 Consumer Confidence Report

Jun 21, 2021

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

IN5232017                                        NORTH SALEM WATER CORPORATION

Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2020

For more information regarding this report contact:

This report is intended to provide you with important information about your

drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.                               Name:  Mark Basham

OUR TOWN COUNCIL MEETS THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH                                              Phone:  317-563-2757

AT 6 PM; 5 WEST PEARL STREET, NORTH SALEM  IN 46165

Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre el agua que usted

NORTH SALEM WATER CORPORATION is Ground Water                                               bebe.  Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

Sources of Drinking Water

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.  More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

  • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, andwildlife.
  • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewaterdischarges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
  • Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
  • Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production,and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
  • Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.

Contaminants may be found in drinking water that may cause taste, color, or odor problems.  These types of problems are not necessarily causes for health concerns.  For more information on taste, odor, or color of drinking water, please contact the system’s business office.

Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Source Water Information SWA = Source Water Assessment

Source Water Name Type of Water Report Status Location
WELL #1 GW  ACTIVE  100 EAST PEARL STREET
WELL #2 GW  ACTIVE  100 EAST PEARL STREET

 

2020            Regulated Contaminants Detected

Lead and Copper

Definitions:

Action Level Goal (ALG):  The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  ALGs allow for a margin of safety. Action Level:  The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

—-

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

—-

Lead and Copper Date Sampled MCLG Action Level (AL) 90th Percentile # Sites Over AL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination
                 
Copper 07/25/2018 1.3 1.3 0.15 0 ppm N Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems.

Water Quality Test Results

Definitions:                                        The following tables contain scientific terms and measures, some of which may require explanation.

Avg:                                                                 Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.

Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL:                          The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Level 1 Assessment:                                                     A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG:         The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Level 2 Assessment:                                                     A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL:             The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum residual disinfectant level goal or MRDLG:   The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

Water Quality Test Results

na: not applicable.
mrem: millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
ppb: micrograms per liter or parts per billion – or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.
ppm: milligrams per liter or parts per million – or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.
Treatment Technique or TT: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

 

Regulated Contaminants

Disinfectants and Disinfection

By-Products

 Collection Date Highest Level

Detected

 Range of Levels

Detected

 MCLG MCL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination
Chlorine 2020 1 1 – 1 MRDLG = 4 MRDL = 4 ppm N Water additive used to control microbes.
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) 2020 5 5 – 5 No goal for the total 60 ppb N By-product of drinking water disinfection.
Total Trihalomethanes

(TTHM)

 2020 11 10.8 – 10.8 No goal for the total 80 ppb N By-product of drinking water disinfection.
Inorganic Contaminants Collection Date Highest Level

Detected

 Range of Levels

Detected

 MCLG MCL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination
Arsenic – While your drinking water meets EPA standards for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPAs standard balances the current understanding of arsenics possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems. 2020 10 6.9 – 10 0 10 ppb N Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes.
               
Barium 2020 0.35 0.35 – 0.35 2 2 ppm N Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.
Fluoride 2020 0.848 0.848 – 0.848 4 4.0 ppm N Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.

 

 

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING

Apr 13, 2020

ATTENTION TOWN RESIDENTS:

“A virtual special meeting for the North Salem Town Council will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 16th. The meeting agenda is to 1) open and read aloud submitted bids and 2) present the bond ordinance for vote and adoption for the North Salem Drinking Water System Improvements project. All citizens who are interested may participate in the following ways:

Video and Audio: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting. A window will pop up in your internet browser prompting you to either “Download the Windows app” or “Join on the web instead.” Please click “Join on the web instead.” Supported browsers are: Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, the latest version of Chrome, or the latest version of Firefox; OR YOU MAY JOIN BY PHONE:

Phone: Call 1-317-643-7993. When prompted, dial the conference ID: 649 625 608#.”

Please feel free to contact the Town Hall at 765-676-6210 with any questions. Thank you!

NORTH SALEM WATER PROJECT POSTPONEMENT AND TOWN HALL UPDATE

Mar 18, 2020

Per the Governor’s mandate regarding public meetings, etc., at this time we are postponing our pre-bid meeting that was set for March 19th at 10:00 a.m. WE WILL RE-EVALUATE IN EARLY APRIL. If you have any questions, please contact Aaron Crow, Project Engineer with RQAW at 317-588-1772, or by e-mail at acrow@rqaw.com.

The Town Hall’s lobby will be closed to the puclic through the end of March. We have a drop-box you may utilize for correspondence or payments, and payments may be made online at www.paygov.us. We will still be in the office, if you need to contact us please call 765-676-6210. Thank you.

PUBLIC HEARING REMINDER

Jun 5, 2019

Reminder for the Public Hearing on Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the North Salem Town Hall.  This was advertised in the Hendricks County Republican, and was also posted on our Facebook page.  We are applying for an Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs water grant in the amount of $700,000.00.  We need residents to voice their concerns about the water quality at this hearing.  We also have a Drinking Water Quality Survey that can be picked up at the Town Hall.  We are experiencing some technical difficulties with our webpage, so we are currently unable to upload this survey or any links.

North Salem 2019 Farmers Market

Apr 24, 2019

North Salem’s Farmers Market will begin on Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 and run every Thursday through October 24th from 5-7:30 p.m.  If you receive the Explorer, the Hendricks County Parks and Recreation publication, it’s erroneously listed as Wednesdays.  It will always be on Thursday.

HEAVY TRASH DAY

Mar 8, 2019

HEAVY TRASH CURB SIDE PICK UP
TUESDAY – APRIL 30, 2019

ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS:
Furniture Swing Sets
Household Appliances (small)* Carpet & Floor Coverings
Water Heaters Small Amounts of Lumber Scraps
Large toys Small Amounts of Drywall
Bicycles
Window Glass (MUST be broken, boxed & securely sealed and marked “glass”)
*washers, dryers, dishwashers, and smaller, NON Freon bearing.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FREON BEARING APPLIANCES:
Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers or any other appliance containing or ever having contained Freon or any other type of refrigerant must be purged by a certified technician and must be accompanied with the proper documentation issued by the certified technician. THEY WILL NOT BE PICKED UP WITHOUT THIS DOCUMENTATION.

UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS:
Antifreeze Oil
Gasoline Gasoline Cans\Tanks
Propane Tanks Batteries
Paint Construction\Demolition Debris
Flammable Liquids Toxic Liquids
Concrete Brick
Sod Soil
Trees Paint thinners
Medical Waste Tires
Tree Trunks\Stumps ANY appliances that have NOT had Freon removed
E-WASTE of ANY kind, which includes TV’s, DVD Players, VHS Players, gaming consoles, computers, monitors, keyboards, towers, e-readers, etc.

Hendricks Solid Waste Management will provide five (5) days for proper disposal of the unacceptable items listed above. Following are the dates, times, and locations:
1. Brownsburg High School – April 6th
2. Hendricks County Fairgrounds – May 18th
3. Hickory Elementary School (Avon) – July 27th
4. Hendricks County Fairgrounds – September 14th
5. Plainfield Middle School – October 19th

All events listed above are 8 am to 1 pm. There are fees charged for tvs, appliances and tires. Please contact Hendricks Solid Waste at 317-858-6070 for more information.

October 2018 Council Meeting Minutes

Nov 2, 2018

 

 

 

MINUTES OF

TOWN OF NORTH SALEM

COUNCIL MEETING

OCTOBER 4, 2018

 

    1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER:
    2. The October 4, 2018, Council Meeting was called to order by Council Vice President Mike Russell at 6:00 pm.
    3. ROLL CALL:
    4. Mike Russell, Vice President – Present _________________________________
    5. Jimmy Roberts, Member – Present      _________________________________
    6. Rebecca Compton, President – Absent _________________________________
    7. PLEDGE/PRAYER:
    8. Council Vice President Mike Russell led with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a prayer by Jimmy Roberts.
    9. MINUTES:
    10. Mike asked if there were any additions or corrections to the September minutes; there being none, minutes were approved as written.
  • PUBLIC MEETING – 2019 BUDGET:  

 

  1. The 2019 budget was presented for adoption. No comments were made. Jimmy made a motion to adopt; Mike seconded.
  2. OLD ITEMS:
  1. Ham and Bean Supper – October 27th – Beth and Rebecca met last month to go over plans and finalize a few things. Mark is having signs made to put out the week of event. These will be ones that do not have a date so we can use them each year.
  • NEW ITEMS:
  • Steven Walls, INDOT – Mr. Walls was in attendance to discuss the 2021 paving project that will be coming through town on 236.   There was discussion of the possibility of having sidewalk and curb work done at the same time. Mr. Walls stated that they would need a commitment from us for maybe $20,000-$25,000 to put towards this work. There is also the possibility of having to move a sidewalk, etc. After much discussion, it was decided that the Council will discuss further with Mark and Beth before a decision is made. Mr. Walls stated that they would need to know our plans by the first of the year.
  • Ordinance 2018-4. Beth explained this Ordinance which increases the meter surcharges a total of $4.50 each month to be put into effect January, 2019. Jimmy made a motion to approve; Mike seconded. Second reading will be in November.
  • Halloween- Trick or Treating will be October 31st from 6-8 pm.

 

October 4, 2018 Board Meeting Minutes – page 2

 

  1. REPORTS:
  2. Mark – Mark let the Council know that he had some trees trimmed on Ladoga Avenue as well as at the Park. We have several trees in town that need work, but a limited budget. He will pick the worst ones to take care of in this budget year.
  3. NSPD – For the record, Mike presented the NSPD report for the month of September.
  4. Council – None
  5. Harold Blake – None
  6. Clerk-Treasurer – None
  1. PUBLIC:
  2. Bill Compton wanted to remind and invite everyone to the North Salem Revitalization Committee’s Fall Festival this coming weekend.
  3. Jay Thompson was in attendance as a small town representative with the Hendricks County Communications Center. He is trying to establish a County wide bond to help purchase radios for the fire departments and police departments.
  4. Victoria Goodspeed was in attendance to discuss a side walk problem they are having around their kids bus stop. The kids are standing in water and mud after it rains. Mark will look at the area and possibility of adding some stone.
  5. Amanda Traut and Doug Frazier were in attendance to discuss the fund they have set up at the bank for donations for the North Salem Town Park playground equipment. They are very close to reaching their initial goal. The Council let them know that all proceeds from the Ham and Bean Supper would be donated to their fund.
  6. ADJOURNMENT:
  7. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:48 pm. The next Council Meeting will be November 1st at 6:00 pm.

Attest:

 

 

___________________________________

Beth Russell

Clerk-Treasurer

Water & Sewer Rates and How we got here.

Oct 20, 2008

Water & Sewer Rates Update & Background.

 

During the last few months the Town Council of North Salem has been working to meet financial deficits in our water and sewer operating funds.

 

Indiana State law requires that every utility must be operated as a ‘stand alone’ fund, meaning that each utility must bring in enough revenue to cover it’s own expenses.

If a utility does not bring in enough funding then the only two choices are to;

1.      Provide loans to offset expenses as a short term remedy and raise rates to repay the loan in a short time,

2.      Expect the State of Indiana to take over control of that utility.

 

Each utility has unexpected expenses and each has to be dealt with on a case by case basis. The Town has been operating, maintaining and repairing on an as needed basis. At the time the state Auditor came in, we were in the midst of a somewhat major repair and had just applied for a grant to cover most of the expense for it. This along with state mandates changing at the same time caught us a little off guard as the state Auditor examined our accounting and found both water and sewer funds operating in deficit conditions so remedies had to be made quickly.

 

The need to remedy these deficits and do so as affordably as possible with long term protection against happening again was the intent of the Town Council in July, 2008 and since that time we have received a major part of the grant money we had applied for.

 

The Council decided to order a “Rate Study” to calculate all operating and funding history and find out what other towns are doing, what possibilities we have to correct our situation and how we can best serve our community. We instituted the “Surcharge” for each utility as a short term measure basically until the end of 2008 and are expected to have sufficient funds to pay our Bond payment. The ‘rate study’ should provide us with several options to avoid deficit accounts, stop possible state take over and avoid the need to borrow money.

 

That being said the Town Council wants to provide you information on what and why we are at these decisions now. The following is intended to provide you with an overview of basics of our options and history of how we arrived at this time to these circumstances.

 

Our sewer system was completed in 1980 and the first payment on the bond loan was October 1, 1981. The beginning loan was for $ 398,000.00 and was financed for 40 years. For our 249 users the bond and interest payments amount to almost $ 8 per month for the sewer alone and the cost of operations continue to rise as other expenses also climb.

 

In contacts with engineers and town residents it seems that the original calculations were based on Hendricks County growth rate and applied to the town sewer and in fact the updated water filtration system also.

 

When these factors were applied it was calculated that “IF North Salem” grew at the same rate as the rest of Hendricks County, then the population figures in 1981 extended to the year 2,000 would increase town population to about 2,000 residents. The increase of utility users would spread the payments over more users and any increases in operations, inflation and unforeseen expenses would be covered by growth of population.

 

As a result of these assumptions, we have water and sewer rates that have remained static for several years because the population has not increased much. From the population of 500 in 1981, we now show a 2006 census population of 633.

Not even close to the over 2,000 calculated in 1981. Of course this causes greater expense to fewer users.

 

Just a side note, the $ 398,000 dollars in 1981 is equal to $ 875,600 dollars in 2008. This gives a simple comparison of values over the period of time we are in now.

 

As a result of misguided assumptions, we now face much larger operating expenses at a time when national and state economics are in decline and our population is aging with fewer dollars earned as income and almost no population growth.

 

Additional reductions of our Annual Budget the last two years have put us in a difficult position. The budget for 2007 was reduced by over  $ 44,000 and 2008 has been reduced by almost $ 59,000 so every area is feeling the pinch.

 

Along with these difficult circumstances the state of Indiana often has changed requirements of both water and sewage making more expensive demands that are unfunded, meaning they make these demands and never increase our funds to implement their requirements.

 

Now combine these circumstances with the life span of our water tower built in 1935 and engineered as a 75 year tower. This brings us to the situation we face of replacing our water tower around 2010, about the time we will Celebrate our 175 year Birthday.

 

Quite a set of circumstances to face without a doubt.

 

 

Town Council Plans;

 

At the August 2008 Town Council meeting a “Rate Study” was ordered for our town water and wastewater (sewer) operations. The study will look at operating expenses versus income of each utility, and compare both former rates and future rates with similar size towns in Indiana.

 

While this research is being conducted we voted to adopt a “Surcharge” of $ 10 on wastewater and $ 20 on water until December and reconcile new rates that would provide enough funds to keep our utilities solvent and commit to more intensive monitoring of accounting.

 

At the October 2, 2008 Town Council meeting we received a part of the ‘Rate Study’ materials and decided to have a ‘Workshop’ to develop new rates and exercise examples of monthly utility trials to keep rates as low as possible, yet avoid a repeat of future deficits.

 

The Council intends to formally adopt new rates at our November 6, 2008 meeting and comply with state rules of new Ordinance procedures to begin applying new rates as soon as possible after January 1, 2009.

 

For the future need to replace our water tower we will await political election results as they dictate how and when we will apply for state funding grants and required planning and engineering studies to support grant application figures.  At this point the Council can only research possibilities of future needs and continue maintaining our facilities as best we can.

 

 

If you have questions or suggestions please attend the Town Council meeting, contact Town Hall or leave a reply on this Blog.

 

Thanks.

 

Mike Selch – Town Council Member