Legislative leaders agree to Stemler study of Ohio, White, Wabash River aquifers

For immediate release:
June 3, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS – A summer study of usage of three major Indiana waterways will be the next step in efforts by State Rep. Steven R. Stemler (D-Jeffersonville) to analyze our state’s long-term water needs.

Members of the Legislative Council–made up of leaders in the Indiana House and Senate–have asked the Interim Study Committee on Environmental Affairs to spend a portion of this summer examining a plan to create a stable grid linking water distribution systems tied to the Ohio, White and Wabash Rivers.

The proposal – which could generate legislation for consideration in the 2016 session of the Indiana General Assembly – is based on a proposal filed by Stemler during the 2015 session (House Bill 1111).

“It is my belief that we must engage in a long-term plan now to understand Indiana’s water consumption because there are definite concerns about how finite this cherished resource is around the country,” Stemler said. “California is in what seems to be a permanent state of crisis because its water supplies are running drastically low. Prudent planning can help us avoid similar problems in our state.”

Earlier this year, Stemler sponsored a new state law (Senate Enrolled Act 474) which requires the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) to analyze water utilities in the state’s 15 most populous cities.

Another measure carrying his name that did not get final legislative approval this session (House Bill 1334) would have set up a groundwater authority to coordinate shared resources between Southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.

“All of these areas are worthy of study, but I am particularly pleased to see that leaders agreed to do something with the proposal outlined in HB 1111, since it focuses on a study of three of this state’s major waterways,” Stemler noted.

“The idea here is to forecast Indiana’s long-term water consumption, with the hope of developing a master plan that both meets the needs of Hoosiers and conserves water whenever possible,” he continued. “All critical segments of our communities must be considered – agricultural, residential, commercial, and recreational – because all of these areas are crucial to the continued growth of our state.

“These are not glamorous topics for study and discussion, but they are as critical as any facing our state government, and it will be good to see us begin planning now for what could come in the future,” Stemler concluded.