Indiana American Water Completes $18 Million Infrastructure Development Zone Water Project in Montgomery County

 Indiana American Water Company, a subsidiary of American Water Company (NYSE: AWK), today joined Montgomery County Board of Commissioners President John Frey, community leaders and project partners at a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate completion of an $18 million project to support the County’s Infrastructure Development Zone (IDZ) located along Nucor Road southeast of Crawfordsville, Ind.

The project, constructed in phases over the last two years, included construction of a new high-pressure pump station to pump water directly to the area from the company’s water treatment plant in Crawfordsville, installing more than five miles of water main to extend service to the IDZ, and constructing a new one-million-gallon water storage tank on Comfort Drive west of Nucor Road.

“We are happy to be able to partner with the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners to extend service to this area to support their economic development efforts,” said Indiana American Water President Matt Prine. “High quality, reliable water service is an important part of being able to attract new business and industry to communities across the state.

“Legislation that passed in 2017 in the Indiana General Assembly has helped to create and nurture these types of partnerships between utilities and government agencies,” Prine continued. “Indiana is blessed with an abundance of water resources, and our Indiana Legislature has advanced sound water policy over the last several years to fully leverage these resources as a competitive advantage.”

The enabling legislation, House Enrolled Act 1519, was approved in 2017 and, among other things, authorizes public water utilities to petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for approval of an extension of service to an Infrastructure Development Zone.

“We’re thrilled to have this new water infrastructure in place to support our Infrastructure Development Zone,” said Montgomery County Board of Commissioners President John Frey. “Indiana American Water has been a great partner in our efforts to get water infrastructure in place to attract business and industry and enhance job opportunities and the quality of life for area residents. Water is the lifeblood of any community, and the completion of this work moves us further down the road in achieving our economic development goals.”

Funding for the Montgomery County IDZ project included bringing together dollars from several sources, including the State Water Infrastructure Fund (SWIF), the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), bond issues that will be repaid with the additional taxes collected as a result of growth in a Tax Increment Funding (TIF) district, and capital funds provided by Indiana American Water.

Late last year, local, county, state and federal officials joined executives from Tempur Sealy, an American manufacturer of mattresses and bedding products, to break ground for a new 700,000-square foot foam pouring manufacturing facility located just west of the new elevated water storage tank. Tempur Sealey expects to eventually employ more than 300 people at the facility, one of three foam pouring facilities the company operates in the U.S.

Indiana American Water serves approximately 6,000 customers in Crawfordsville/Montgomery County, or nearly 17,000 residents.

About Indiana American Water

Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs approximately 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to an estimated 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.