Northeast Indiana Regional Water Study and What It Means for Steuben County

Understanding the Study

The Northeast Indiana Regional Water Study examines current and projected water demand and availability over a 50-year planning horizon. Its purpose is to provide communities with better information as they make long-term decisions about water resources, infrastructure, and economic development. The study should be viewed as a regional planning tool, not a determination of whether a specific economic development project should proceed.

Thus, what does the study tell us? The State's analysis identifies significant differences in water availability between Northeast Indiana's major basins. The St. Joseph Basin is characterized by high groundwater recharge, high baseflow and high natural water availability. The Maumee Basin has comparatively lower recharge, baseflow, and natural water availability.

The study also examines water demand in the Northeast Indiana region. Across Northeast Indiana, total water demand is projected to increase from approximately 196.7 million gallons per day (MGD) in 2020 to 291.1 MGD by 2070. Much of this projected increase is attributed to growing irrigation demand. Steuben County presents a somewhat different picture. Its public-water-supply model projects a gradual decline in average annual demand through 2070, while the irrigation model projects substantial long-term growth.

Water Quantity and Water Quality

The State presentation is primarily a study of water quantity and availability rather than a comprehensive assessment of Steuben County's water quality. Water quality, however, is incorporated into the State's analysis. The State presentation is primarily a water-quantity and availability study, not a comprehensive assessment of Steuben County water quality. However, water quality was taken into account. The State identifies agricultural land use, legacy industrial contamination, and combined sewer overflows as regional water-quality risks. Its concept of "cumulative excess water availability" also reserves water necessary to maintain water quality, recreational use, and ecological health before identifying water potentially available for additional supply.

That principle is particularly important in Steuben County. Our lakes and water resources are not simply environmental amenities; they contribute directly to tourism, property values, recreation, talent attraction, and the overall identity and quality of life of the county. These assets are also recognized in the SCEDC 2023 Strategic Plan. The lesson is not that Steuben County must choose between economic growth and natural-resource protection. Successful economic development requires planning for both.

Implications and Local Planning

These findings raise an important question: What do they mean for Steuben County? Because the State study is regional, it should not be used to determine the water capacity of an individual municipality or development site. That requires more detailed, community-level analysis. A practical next step is to develop a clear understanding of each community's existing water resources and infrastructure, including:

•    Existing water sources
•    Well and treatment capacity
•    Distribution infrastructure
•    Wastewater capacity
•    Peak and seasonal demand
•    Planned growth areas
•    Capital investments needed to accommodate additional development

This local-level information would give communities and economic development partners a stronger foundation for evaluating future opportunities and infrastructure needs. It also directly aligns with the SCEDC Strategic Plan, which calls for coordination among municipalities, utilities, and economic development partners to identify priority growth areas and improve utility access. Strong infrastructure is essential not only for business attraction, but also for business retention and expansion, housing development, talent attraction, and population growth.

Data Centers and Other Large Water Users

The State presentation specifically identifies data centers and other emerging demands as issues requiring additional consideration. Importantly, the study does not conclude that these projects should automatically be prohibited. Instead, it notes that no single agency currently evaluates cumulative water withdrawals, consumptive use, wastewater discharge, and wetland impacts together.

Steuben County should not eliminate major investment opportunities based solely on the assumption that a particular industry will consume an unacceptable amount of water. At the same time, the county should not assume that its regional water advantages mean every project can be accommodated at every location. Large water users should be evaluated individually and should demonstrate how their proposed water demand, wastewater needs, and infrastructure requirements can be responsibly accommodated.

When additional infrastructure is needed primarily to serve a specific project, the county should also evaluate opportunities for the developer to finance or materially participate in those improvements. Infrastructure costs should not automatically be transferred to existing taxpayers. This approach allows Steuben County to remain open to investment while protecting existing residents, agriculture, businesses, lakes, and future generations.

An Opportunity for Proactive Planning

The study demonstrates that Northeast Indiana's water resources vary significantly by basin and that the St. Joseph Basin has important natural advantages. It also highlights future pressures, including seasonal irrigation, climate variability, infrastructure limitations, and emerging large water users.

For Steuben County, these findings present an opportunity to move from reacting to individual development proposals toward proactive, data-informed water and infrastructure planning. SCEDC recommends that Steuben County and its municipal partners view the State study as a starting point, rather than an endpoint, for local water planning. Primary actions should include:

1.    Develop a Steuben County Water & Utility Capacity Inventory
2.    Translate regional data into site-level economic development information
3.    Establish a large-water-user review framework
4.    Protect existing users and natural resources as growth occurs
5.    Plan for agricultural and seasonal demand
6.    Create a coordinated capital-investment strategy
7.    Maintain a fact-based public conversation

Water is one of Steuben County's strategic advantages. We should neither take that advantage for granted nor be hesitant to use it responsibly. Our responsibility is to understand our water resources, protect them, plan for future demand, and invest in the infrastructure needed to support sustainable growth. By taking this approach, Steuben County can remain positioned for responsible economic development while safeguarding the water resources that support our economy, communities, and quality of life.