The LEAP pipeline project has sparked a tug-of-war over water supplies in Tippecanoe County between residents there and those who want to build an industrial park in Lebanon. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce said conflicts like this show the state needs to start planning for water now.

A new report from the Chamber of Commerce says Indiana currently has an abundance of water, but due to growth in central Indiana and planned construction in other parts of the state, there may not be enough water to meet demand in the future. It’s an update to a report the Chamber of Commerce released a decade ago.

Since 2019, the state has been slowly working to complete regional water studies. Jack Wittman is a hydrologist with INTERA, which helped produce the chamber’s report. He said the LEAP project showed the state needs regional and state water plans.

“So it helps us see what else we can do to make sure we have already anticipated these questions and are ready with information and data,” Wittman said.

READ MORE: Growing Central Indiana will need more water in the future

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Wittman said water plans could help identify the needs of different regions and where the state could facilitate economic growth – such as near Brookville Reservoir, about an hour northwest of Cincinnati.

“Brookville is barely used, barely – a few million gallons a day and the capacity is huge. So basically there’s an opportunity near Brookville,” he said.

Among other things, the Chamber recommends appointing a team to conduct statewide water planning, better monitoring of Indiana’s water resources and funding water research.

Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. You can reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.