Evansville faces tight industrial deadline for emergency sewer repair

Evansville faces tight industrial deadline for emergency sewer repairThe Evansville Water and Sewer Utility is expediting emergency procurement to fix a deep clay sewer line at an ADM facility before summer agricultural trucking operations restrict site access.

A deep 24-inch clay sewer line has collapsed at an ADM property in the Eulhorn area, prompting EWSU staff to request emergency procurement authorization.

The utility has a strict operational window, as ADM requires the site to be clear of construction from June 10 to July 31 to accommodate grain hauling trucks.

Engineering firm Lochmueller Group has drafted a redesign that will raise the elevation of the sewer and separate some stormwater infrastructure.

The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) Board is advancing emergency procurement to address an ongoing sewer collapse at an ADM property in the Eulhorn area, racing against a strict industrial deadline. During the board's March 24, 2026 meeting, utility staff detailed the urgent situation involving a deep 24-inch clay sewer pipe. EWSU faces a highly constrained timeline for the repair due to ADM's operational requirements. Staff reported that the agricultural processing company has mandated that the area be entirely clear of construction from June 10 through July 31 to accommodate heavy grain-hauling truck traffic. "Our window to get this completed just shrunk drastically because of the constraints that ADM has put us under, and obviously we cannot stop hauling of grain," a utility staff member told the board. Staff noted that the remaining integrity of the collapsed pipe is unknown, further necessitating the emergency declaration. By authorizing the project as an emergency, the board allows EWSU to immediately solicit quotes and expedite the repair process outside of standard, lengthier bidding procedures. Engineering firm Lochmueller Group has already developed a redesign for the site. According to staff, the proposed solution will bring the deep sewer line up to a shallower elevation and separate some of the associated stormwater infrastructure to improve long-term resilience at the site.