Union Mills is a small, rural farm community located in South central LaPorte County, Indiana. Originally settled in 1836, by 1840 a grain mill was in operation and a general store had opened. Long before running water and indoor plumbing, the community was platted in 1849 with many small, lots in the central area. Located at the intersection of three rail lines, the community did well in the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s with many different small businesses serving the community – barbershop, school, doctor’s office, bank, general stores, post office, bars, restaurants, fraternal lodges, canning factory. But with mass production of automobiles and highways that bypassed the small community, the slow, steady decline of the community had begun. As recently as 2009, the community still had a branch bank, hardware store, post office, dental lab, three bars/restaurants, Farm Co-Op Alliance, small manufacturer, volunteer fire department, library branch and a local post of the American Legion. But the closure of the bank and a fire that destroyed the hardware store has hastened the decline and within the last two years, more small business have shut down and no longer are in operation. State and local regulations have made it essentially impossible for businesses to rebuild, expand and operate in Union Mills on the existing lots and buildings that remain. For the long term survival of this small community and local businesses, we believe that the wastewater treatment problem in the central core area must be addressed with a long term, environmentally sound, fiscally responsible solution. After three years of planning and discussion, we hope to offer a solution that our local community will join us in supporting to help rebuild this as a great place to live for the next hundred years.