Is Storm Water Treated Before Entering Lake Michigan?
NO. During a storm event, water runoff is carried by the storm sewers directly into the Lake. Contaminated storm water receives no treatment because of the sheer volume of runoff from the area encompassing the Town of Porter. The cost of treating this storm water would be so high that it would exceed available resources. Is There a Difference Between a Storm Sewer and a Sanitary Sewer? YES. The sanitary sewer and the storm sewer are two completely separate drainage systems. The sanitary system takes all household wastewater from toilets, showers and sinks, and routes it through your plumbing system into the wastewater collection system where it is transported to the Chesterton Waste Water Treatment Plant. Once there, it is treated before being discharged into the Little Calumet River. The storm water system, on the other hand, was intended to route rainwater quickly off the streets during a heavy storm, but unfortunately takes all urban runoff along with it. Chemicals, trash and debris
