Contaminant in Jasper drainage ditch causes concern

Jasper — On Thursday, Jasper Storm Water and Street Departments responded to the report of a contaminant in a drainage ditch that empties into the Patoka River.

A passing resident notified the City of Jasper of the white cloudy contaminant in the drainage ditch located by Lions Riverview Park along the Jasper Riverwalk at about 1:30 p.m.

Jasper Storm Water Coordinator Chad Mundy determined the material was runoff from the roof of the Dubois County Security Center. Fleck Roofing was pressure-washing the roof and the oxidized residue was draining into the gutters and making its way into the storm sewers. The storm sewers in Jasper all drain into the Patoka River.

Fortunately, the white sediment was stopped by a natural dam created by rip rap and vegetation before going into the Patoka River. Members of the Storm Water Inspection Unit placed booms in the water to collect the material.

Those booms were then turned over to the Jasper Street Department for disposal or even reuse.

According to Mundy, the innocuous nature of the material and the fact that little if any made it into the river precluded any need to notify IDEM of the contaminant.

Fleck Roofing removed the downspouts from the storm sewer system and attached dewatering bags to filter the material being washed from the roof during the work.