By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — A $2 million plan to upgrade Plymouth sewers was on Power Point at the Plymouth City Council chambers.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has mandated that the city not discharge any overflow in the Yellow River. The city sewer system is a combined system with both sanitary and storm water flow the system. When large storms occur the system will discharge overflow into the river, something that IDEM will no longer legally allow.

Commonwealth Engineering came before the council with a plan that will create a pair of underground storage facilities, one off of Jefferson, and another near the water treatment plant on the city’s south side, as well as enlarge the sewer pipe at several locations around the city.
Commonwealth engineers presenting the plant said they hoped that the price tag might actually be smaller than the original estimate. Plymouth has sought to separate storm and sanitary sewers over the years wherever it was easily possible. The policy will result in large savings for Plymouth as opposed to other communities with combined sewer systems.
The main part of the plan would involve the installation of several 200 foot sections of five-foot pipe that would be underground and hold over 140,000 gallons of water. The pipe could be regularly flushed after storms by the manipulation of gates at the entry point. The plan, according to engineers provides the benefit of little maintenance with the longest possible design life.
Property to be used for the storage sites is already owned by the city. The council gave Commonwealth permission to proceed with further refining the design of the system.
The Council also passed on first reading an ordinance for restricting fireworks in the city. Under the ordinance fireworks would only be permitted between 5 p.m. and two hours after sunset between June 29 and July 9 with the exception of July 4 when discharge would be allowed from 10 a.m. until midnight. Fireworks will only be permissible one other date, from 10 a.m. December 31 until 1 a.m. January 1.
Violation of the ordinance will result in a $100 fine for each instance of violation.