Town of Newburgh breaks ground on 4-million-gallon wastewater equalization tank to reduce overflows
June 12, 2026 | Town of Newburgh, Warrick County, Indiana
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Presenters at a Town of Newburgh groundbreaking ceremony said the town will build a 4-million-gallon wastewater equalization tank to reduce overflows and protect the wastewater treatment plant during extreme rain events.
The project matters because heavy storms can deliver far more water to the plant than it can treat, presenters said. "During large rain events we're routinely getting 25 to 30 million gallons wastewater coming in which will exceed our capacity," a presenter said, adding that the excess can cause backups, overflows and property damage if unaddressed.
The equalization (EQ) basin described at the ceremony will act as a temporary storage reservoir for excess flows. "What we are going to build here today is a big pressure relief valve," the presenter said. The presenter described the basin as having a capacity of 4 million gallons, a diameter of 185 feet and a height of 22 feet; when influent reaches a plant high-level set point, valves will redirect flows to the new facility so the plant is not overwhelmed.
Officials and project partners framed the tank as both a resilience and planning investment. The presenter said the project will "assist in preparing the community for future growth opportunities" and that planning now will reduce long-term costs: "this will save the ratepayers money." The ceremony included acknowledgments for elected officials, the town engineering firm Commonwealth Engineers, and Reynolds Construction.
Speakers also noted the local scale of impact: the utility serves about 11,000 buildings and taps and roughly 40,000 people, the presenter said, and the project was described as protecting public health and providing sustainable infrastructure "for decades to come." The presenter closed the remarks by saying the region's commitment for the next 20 years begins with the groundbreaking.
Construction timing, contract values, funding sources and permitting steps were not specified at the ceremony.
The project matters because heavy storms can deliver far more water to the plant than it can treat, presenters said. "During large rain events we're routinely getting 25 to 30 million gallons wastewater coming in which will exceed our capacity," a presenter said, adding that the excess can cause backups, overflows and property damage if unaddressed.
The equalization (EQ) basin described at the ceremony will act as a temporary storage reservoir for excess flows. "What we are going to build here today is a big pressure relief valve," the presenter said. The presenter described the basin as having a capacity of 4 million gallons, a diameter of 185 feet and a height of 22 feet; when influent reaches a plant high-level set point, valves will redirect flows to the new facility so the plant is not overwhelmed.
Officials and project partners framed the tank as both a resilience and planning investment. The presenter said the project will "assist in preparing the community for future growth opportunities" and that planning now will reduce long-term costs: "this will save the ratepayers money." The ceremony included acknowledgments for elected officials, the town engineering firm Commonwealth Engineers, and Reynolds Construction.
Speakers also noted the local scale of impact: the utility serves about 11,000 buildings and taps and roughly 40,000 people, the presenter said, and the project was described as protecting public health and providing sustainable infrastructure "for decades to come." The presenter closed the remarks by saying the region's commitment for the next 20 years begins with the groundbreaking.
Construction timing, contract values, funding sources and permitting steps were not specified at the ceremony.
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