Governor orders immediate action on state’s water studies

Indiana Finance Authority to lead state water study efforts

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced major actions to provide the necessary and reliable data needed for future short- and- long-term water policy and planning in Indiana:

1. Governor Holcomb has directed the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) to begin exclusive oversight of the completion and validation of the INTERA water supply study currently underway along the Wabash River in Tippecanoe County expected to be completed and peer reviewed in January 2024. This study was originally commissioned and overseen by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to operate at the speed of business and market demands positioning Indiana for further capital investment.
2. Holcomb has also instructed IFA to accelerate the start of a planned comprehensive regional water study for north-central Indiana that will examine watersheds covering Tippecanoe County and at least 12 other area counties including Benton, Cass, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Montgomery, Parke, Tipton, Vermillion, Warren, White with potentially more being invited to be participate.
   • This comprehensive study, which will take into account future population and economic growth for the region, will be completed in Fall 2024.
   • Its results will incorporate the INTERA findings on overall water supply in the area to provide a complete picture of in-depth data needed to properly determine the amount of water that can responsibly be used to support all projected growth needs in the region and throughout the state.
   • This study will be the fourth such comprehensive regional water study that IFA has conducted since 2017.
3. Finally, Governor Holcomb has asked IFA to add new water monitoring devices in the area to support this regional study while providing the public assurance that water use and availability will continue to be tracked accurately and in real-time.

“I am confident that these new efforts led by IFA will provide the necessary data to gain a greater understanding of the amount of excess water that is truly available to support all the surrounding region’s growth prior to any action being taken that could inadvertently jeopardize this needed resource.  No entity is better suited to lead this overall pursuit than the IFA which will approach this study in the same methodical, collaborative, and transparent manner the organization has conducted in the past.” Gov. Holcomb said.

“This is the natural next step to the data collection and will allow us the time to fully understand the region’s resource in order to continue our state’s unprecedented momentum in attracting employers that create high-wage careers.”

For more information on past studies and key updates on the announced actions please follow IFA’s website here.