Lebanon Utilities announced May 1 the discharge location for the Boone County LEAP district would not be within Eagle Creek Park.
It’s a big win for Indianapolis residents and local officials concerned about how the water deal would affect the Eagle Creek Reservoir.
Preliminary engineering reports for Lebanon Utilities’ wastewater plant upgrades identified the location of the outfall and other treatment structures on a piece of land within Eagle Creek Park between Interstate 65 and Lafayette Road.
The outfall is where water from the LEAP district’s two tenants, the 1.2 million-square-foot Lilly Medicine Foundry, which is set to open next year, and Meta’s 1,500-acre, 13-building data center campus, set to open in 2031, would enter Eagle Creek and the Eagle Creek Reservoir.
People living near the park, environmental groups and other concerned Indianapolis residents worried the location could negatively affect the biological integrity of the reservoir and local wildlife.
Get the backstory
In a notice released May 1, Lebanon Utilities general manager Ed Basquill said the utility would look for another location.
“The options for the final discharge location for the Treated Water Effluent Line are still being evaluated and have not been finalized, but the discharge location will not occur within the limits of Eagle Creek Park,” he said in the notice.
Residents living near the park say it’s a positive step forward.
Lou Ann Baker, a member of the Eagle Creek Park Advisory Committee, said the decision is the result of the work of thousands of people.
“This is the important outcome of many, many people sharing their thoughts and opinions. That’s the way that community feedback is supposed to work. And Lebanon is listening to those voices,” she said.
Rev. David Greene, who lives near the park and is senior pastor at Purpose of Life Ministries, said he’s excited about the decision and wants Lebanon Utilities to involve residents’ decisions in every step of the process. Greene, a Democrat, is also running for the State Senate District 29 seat.
“This is progress, but trust is built over time and through transparency, so we need to be looking for clear details on what enforceable protections are going to be in play in the future and a continued role for the community in the decision-making process,” said Greene.
Citizens Energy, which will supply up to 25 million gallons of water from Indianapolis water sources to Lebanon Utilities by 2031, said in a press release it was supportive of the decision.
We “will remain actively engaged as Lebanon Utilities assesses viable alternatives and works with the relevant regulatory agencies and the public to secure the necessary approvals,” the company said in a press release.
The Citizens Energy-Lebanon Utilities water deal
Citizens Energy entered into a $550 million deal to send up to 25 million gallons of water per day to Lebanon Utilities by 2031.
The company will send up to 2 million gallons of water per day by 2027, up to 10 million gallons per day by 2028 and up to 25 million gallons of water per day by 2031.
The water will come from multiple sources in Indianapolis.
Once used at the LEAP district, the water will be treated at the Lebanon Utilities wastewater treatment plant that will be upgraded beginning in 2028.
Basquill has said that water discharged from the plant into Eagle Creek will meet state standards and will be the same quality or better than the water that is already there. He also said Lebanon Utilities clients will be responsible for treating some emerging contaminants, like PFAS chemicals, even before its discharge water is released to the treatment plant.
Hundreds of Indianapolis residents crossed the Eagle Creek Bridge in March to draw attention to the water deal.
All but four city-county councilors also signed a letter to Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, Lebanon Mayor Matthew Gentry, Citizens Energy Group CEO Jeffrey Harrison and Lebanon Utilities general manager Ed Basquill urging them to listen to residents and take action to protect the reservoir and keep future water deals transparent.
One of the main issues in the letter was the planned location of the outfall. The councilors wanted Lebanon Utilities to choose an alternate location.
For more information
Learn more about the Citizens – Lebanon Water Supply Program, check out Citizen Energy’s dedicated website.
Get more details about Lebanon Utilities’ planned wastewater treatment plant expansion here.
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Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on Bluesky at @enriquesaenz.bsky.social.
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