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RIVER ROAD CSO
River Road CSO logo
River Road CSO logo

River Road is now open!

The second phase of the River Road CSO Project is now complete. Both lanes of North River Road are now open. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time of growth for the City of West Lafayette.

River Road is now open!

The second phase of the River Road CSO Project is now complete. Both lanes of North River Road are now open. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time of growth for the City of West Lafayette.

What is CSO?

In West Lafayette, our sewer system transports stormwater and wastewater through one system to the wastewater treatment plant.

Before the completion of the second phase, normal rain events with 1⁄4-inch of rainfall or more, the combined system capacity was becoming overwhelmed, resulting in stormwater and wastewater overflowing into the Wabash River. This is referred to as a combined sewer overflow (CSO).

By expanding our infrastructure, we have essentially stopped CSO events, improving the health of the Wabash River.

Before and after diagram of storm drain flow
Before and after diagram of storm drain flow

Protecting the Wabash

Starting in 2016, the City of West Lafayette began this three-phase project.

PHASE 1

COMPLETED 2016

Expand wastewater and stormwater capacity at River Road and State Street

PHASE 2

COMPLETED OCTOBER 2023

Expand wastewater and stormwater capacity at River Road and Dehart Street

PHASE 3

STARTING SPRING 2026*

Update and expand the wastewater treatment facility for West Lafayette

*Projected date. Subject to change.

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Fast Facts

Gallon icon

1.7 million gallons

of waste water and stormwater can be stored and diverted away from the Wabash River.

Decreased overflow icon

Decrease overflows

from 30-40 each year to one every couple of years

Budget percentage icon

~50% of the budget

is covered by the American Rescue Plan

6 Purdue Bell Towers laid end-to-end

is how long the 1,000-foot holding tank buried thirty feet under River Road measures.

With just a 1/4-inch of rain,

the previous system could have been overwhelmed, resulting in stormwater and wastewater overflowing into the Wabash River. The new system prevents overflows in rain events with more than 2″ of rain in an hour.

Weight icon

11,000 tons

of concrete was used to build the new holding tank.

Olympic swimming pool icon

Three Olympic-sized swimming pools

full of contaminated water can now be diverted from our river during each rain event.