BLN has worked on numerous projects for the Muncie Sanitary District (MSD) ranging in size, type, and complexity, including basis of design reports; studies for sewer service, wet weather capacity, flooding, lift stations, and water quality; and design for projects including but not limited to sewer service, force main relocation, building relocation, and a new sanitation building. MSD frequently calls BLN to provide on-call calculations for sewer capacity or rain events. A sampling of projects includes:

CSO 028 Project

Study Phase  

BLN provided a Basis of Design Report outlining all alternatives for the study phase of the CSO 028 project and helped MSD agree to a final design scope. The project scope expanded to include additional on-call services, including:

  • Additional WWTP System Investigations
  • Cowan High School Lift Station Study
  • Bethel Avenue Dance Academy Collection System Expansion Design
  • Whitely Flood Study
  • Morrison Bethel Lift Station Study
  • Tillotson Avenue Force Main Relocation
  • Whitely Water Quality Study
  • Burlington Road Sewer Study
  • MSD Headquarters Building Renovation
  • U-Haul Building Improvements
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Sanitation Building
  • Additional Services: Survey, right-of-way engineering & acquisition, sewer system appraisal, utility coordination, map/exhibit creation, long-term control plan management for coordination & combined sewer overflow operations plan update

Design & Construction Phase

The BLN team provided design services for a 230-acre sewer separation project. The project included a network of new dedicated sanitary sewers, new sewer lateral connections to hundreds of homes and businesses, and a new storm sewer system, including a pond and pump station in an area frequently subjected to flooding during rain events. The pond area has helped to eliminate several vacant properties and add value to the surrounding neighborhood. The original contract scope included only the design of CSO 028; however, MSD’s trust in the BLN team led to the design of several additional design projects:

  • White River Siphon Repair
  • Cowan Residential Sewer
  • Whitely Stilling Basin
  • South Burlington Sanitary Sewer
  • Elgin & McGalliard Stormwater Pond
  • CSO 027 Design
  • South Hoyt Sewer System
  • Additional Services: Survey, right-of-way, public outreach & town hall meetings

ARC/Franklin Street Drainage Improvements

BLN led this large-scale, quick schedule project for ARC Development/Franklin Street drainage improvements, which provided a new dedicated storm sewer system for a 71-acre drainage area. BLN designed the storm sewer system to include 3,300 linear feet of large diameter concrete interceptor pipe ranging in diameter from 36 inches to 96 inches. The stormwater interceptor, which begins at the (then proposed) ARC Development, is routed northwest along High Street, Adams Street, Franklin Street, and Washington Street in downtown Muncie before discharging into the White River. The overall design allows the Muncie Sanitary District to support future phases of separate stormwater improvements.

The project, a functional canal feature and landscaped recreation area was located along the east side of Liberty Street between Washington Street and Gilbert Street. Approximately 60 inlets and an additional 2,700 linear feet of small diameter pipe were installed along the project corridor to collect stormwater and direct the runoff to the interceptor and canal. BLN engineers designed the canal and the individual inlets to function as best management practices for water pollution control measures.

McKinley Retention Pond Pumping Station

BLN was part of the design team for a 1.7-million-gallon storm sewer retention pond pumping station and subsequent improvements in Muncie’s historic McKinley neighborhood. This 40-acre neighborhood was in disrepair due to chronic stormwater overflow during rain events. These reoccurring events required the MSD to act quickly to revitalize the McKinley neighborhood completely. The design addressed three key issues affecting the area:

  • Modernize the 85-year-old Elm Street Levee to meet Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA standards to withstand a 10-year storm event, even if the adjacent White River was inaccessible during a 100-year flood event. This was accomplished by pumping pressurized captured flood water from behind the outdated levee through a 16-inch diameter water force main through the new levee.
  • More than 40 storm sewer inlets were disconnected from the neighborhood and rerouted into the new stormwater retention pond to meet the requirements of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management mandate.
  • Due to shallow bedrock during the pond excavation, engineers shaped the pond to fit the natural topography of the rock layer and reused excavated boulders and native tree plantings around the pond perimeter. Existing trails were extended into the levee area to provide connectivity, encourage increased use of the green space, and spur neighborhood revitalization. Additional improvements in the McKinley neighborhood included curbs, sidewalks, fencing & preemptively installed signage to protect vehicles and pedestrians.

Location:  Muncie, Indiana

Client:  Muncie Sanitary District

Services:

  • Water Resources
    • Design
    • Utility Coordination
  • Survey
  • Right-of-way
  • Environmental