Every year, Speedway welcomes hundreds of thousands of thirsty visitors for the Indianapolis 500 who consume thousands of gallons of beer and other drinks at the race.
When they head to the restroom to make room for more drinks, they put the Speedway Wastewater Treatment plant’s ability to handle the increased flow to the test.
Although the plant can handle the amount of liquid it receives, it has difficulty dealing with the chemical content.
When our bodies create urine, they also create ammonia, a chemical that is toxic to fish and other aquatic life in large concentrations. As a result, ammonia is one of several regulated pollutants in the state’s wastewater discharge permits.
For the fifth year in a row, the plant has reported exceeding the amount of pollutants because of the race, mainly ammonia, that its state permit allows it to discharge into the White River.
It also reported similar violations in 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Speedway town manager Grant Kleinhenz and wastewater superintendent Brad Sloan previously told Mirror Indy the town prepares its treatment plant for the race, including flushing its storage nitrification/denitrification reactor, which converts ammonia in the waste into safer nitrogen gas, and ensuring that the contents of portable toilets are shipped elsewhere that week.
But the plant’s proximity to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, about 1.3 miles, means the urine doesn’t have much time to dilute. The plant receives it as the most concentrated ammonia peoples’ bodies can make.
This year, the race was sold out and is estimated to be the largest crowd since 2016.
Speedway fined $16,500
The permit exceedances got the town in trouble with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which issues air, water, and solid and hazardous waste permits.
As part of a deal with the agency to prevent future permit violations, including its handling of waste during the Indianapolis 500, Speedway agreed to undertake a $14 million expansion and modernization of its wastewater treatment plant which is expected to be completed by June 2028. The city also had to pay a $16,500 civil penalty.
The cost of the plant will be paid through a sewer rate increase of about $8 for the next 20 years.
Speedway officials, through communication director Cheryl McElroy, said they take any permit exceedance seriously and remain committed to protecting water quality and improving plant performance.
“We are never satisfied with a permit exceedance, and every occurrence is carefully reviewed to identify opportunities for improvement,” the town said in an emailed statement from McElroy.
The town also said that town staff works with engineering and other operational partners to implement operational strategies that support compliance.
IDEM told Mirror Indy it will be watching the town’s progress.
The agency said violations identified during the plant’s construction and the implementation, like its ammonia violation in May, do not automatically trigger a new enforcement action.
But after the plant is built, the town will have to go 12 months in a row without a violation — including during the Indianapolis 500 — or face more penalties.
“If any violations occur during this demonstration period, the agreed order allows IDEM to request an additional action plan to address remaining issues, and stipulated penalties may be assessed if warranted,” IDEM communications director Allen Carter said in an email statement.
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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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