A 2015 study by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission found northern Indiana’s groundwater resources are considered good to excellent with access to several surface water sources, most notably Lake Michigan.
Southern Indiana has the most limited supply of groundwater but access to several rivers for surface supply.
As projections call for expanded access to water, water utilities face rising costs with rates ballooning in recent years.
From 2005 to 2014, water and wastewater rates rose 5.74 percent per year, while the CPI rose at a slower pace of 2.21 percent per year.
Overall, the number of general rate increase requests, which excludes trackers, was similar to those made in 2013, with eight water utilities approved for a rate increase.
But while Jesse Kharbanda, president of the Hoosier Environmental Council, agrees the state will see an increase in water need as long as population and industrial use increases, he argues natural preservation and increased water quality is equally important.
The Mounds Lake Project, backed by the Corporation for Economic Development, would see a dam installed on the White River, creating a 2,100-acre lake near downtown Anderson. The CED argues this would not only supply water but also spur economic development.
The HEC introduced its own project, the Mounds Greenway, which would create a walking and biking route along the White River, preserving the natural landscape and, the HEC argues, also allowing for local development.