ARPA funds for Berne Water Line

On September 26, the Berne, IN City Council voted to give Ben Adams of Commonwealth Engineers permission to begin processing plans to use American Rescue Plan Act funds toward upgrades to the city’s main water line.

The current line runs from the wellfield southeast of the city along C.R. 000. Over the years, according to water superintendent John Crider, there have been several repairs made to that line due to age and deterioration. That water line also runs to the intersection of 000 and S.R. 218 where it connects to a distribution bunker that used to be shared with Decatur’s water line. The current line is iron and would be replaced with 12-inch PVC tubing.

Adams said the plan would be to run the new line next to the old one and then take the old one out of service.Decatur installed a new line recently and abandoned its line going into the bunker and Berne now plans to do the same. The plan, according to Adams, is to run the line north along 000 and then go west toward the water plant on the south side of Eastview Apartments. All existing lines north of there that used to connect to the city facility would be abandoned, as is typically the case when new lines are installed.

Adams presented the plan in two phases. Phase I would replace 6,300 feet of line from the plant toward 000 as well as some of the length from the wells going north along 000.

Clint Anderson, The Berne Witness