The town of Seelyville was the first medium-sized community to receive the Hoosier Water Guardian Award (in June 2008). It currently serves a population of approximately 5,700 residents.
Their Phase II plan is not due until August 2, 2011; however, they are not waiting until the last moment to review their management strategies and insure their implementation. Their planning team is meeting twice a year and expanding their membership to include all sectors of their community. They’ve posted wellhead protection signs along the road ways and hosted an open house along with several other educational outreach activities. Use of the groundwater model at their open house was facilitated by the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water.
They’ve also improved the management of their sanitary set-back area by monitoring land application practices and upgrading security measures such as fencing, locks, and alarm systems.
With only one point source (a buried underground storage tank) located within their 5 year time of travel zone, they have worked with the property owner and IDEM in removing this tank. While their buried valley aquifer is extremely vulnerable to contamination from surface activities they have been successful thus far in avoiding any detections! Future activities planned include: finding and sealing abandoned wells, promoting household hazardous waste pick-up days, and additional educational efforts. They may also explore overlay zoning with Vigo County.
