Rensselaer, IN – City officials say a major milestone has been reached in Rensselaer’s ongoing wastewater treatment plant upgrade project, marking significant progress on a $19.3 million infrastructure investment.
According to the City of Rensselaer, crews recently completed a massive 1,000-cubic-yard concrete pour for the foundation of the facility’s new concentric ring oxidation ditch, a key component of the treatment process.
City officials said the work required around-the-clock construction efforts, with crews beginning the pour at 10 p.m. Thursday and continuing through the night until approximately 8 a.m. Friday.
The new foundation will support an oxidation ditch designed to improve treatment operations and serve as one of several major components in the broader modernization and expansion project.
According to the city, the upgraded wastewater treatment facility will increase treatment capacity from 1.6 million gallons per day to 2.24 million gallons per day once completed. Officials say the expansion is intended to support future growth while continuing to protect public health and local waterways.
The wastewater treatment plant project represents one of the largest infrastructure investments currently underway in the Jasper County community. City leaders say the improvements will help ensure Rensselaer has the capacity needed to accommodate future residential and commercial development.
Construction crews will now continue work on the oxidation ditch and surrounding treatment infrastructure as the project moves into its next phase.
The city expects the overall project to be completed in early 2027.
Officials thanked construction crews, engineers and city staff involved in the project, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and expanding critical infrastructure that often operates behind the scenes but remains essential to daily life and economic development.
