Compiled by James Feichtner

Water is a commodity that individuals and families use in and out of their homes everyday, but rarely do they realize where it comes from, how much they have to expend or how much their community will need in the future.

Recently, Citizens Energy Group conducted a study in conjunction with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce that found Central Indiana will need an additional 50 to 80 million gallons of water, per day, in order to meet the rapid growth within the region over the next 25 years.

To answer this growing thirst for local communities, CEG announced on June 23 their plan of an 88-acre quarry site at 116th Street and Olio Road in Fishers to be utilized as a water storage site. The quarry will store 2.7 billion gallons of water, equating to nearly half the amount of water in Geist Reservoir.

“Citizens Reservoir is a cost effective and sustainable solution for providing Central Indiana the water supply it needs for continued population growth and economic development,” said Jeff Harrison, chief executive officer for CEG. “The new reservoir will also be a vital component to helping the region endure serious drought conditions like those that led to mandatory water use restrictions in 2012.”

The announcement of CEG’s plans for building a reservoir here in Fishers not only benefits the city but also the surrounding communities of Central Indiana

“When Citizens Energy came to me with this concept, I couldn’t help but be a little bit envious of how creative, innovative and efficient they were being by meeting the needs for water consumption for many years to come, not just for Fishers, but for the metropolitan area,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “I’m fully supportive of what they are trying to do.”

The quarry will be designed to allow water that would otherwise flood over Geist dam and be wasted during heavy periods of rain to then be directed into the quarry where it will be stored.

Currently, the 230-foot deep limestone quarry is owned by Irving Materials, Inc. Citizens Energy Group will acquire the property from IMI and develop the quarry for water storage purposes by 2020.

“It’s exciting and gratifying to see our long-standing relationship with the water utility culminate in a project that will serve future generations,” said Earl Brinker, chief executive officer of IMI.