KANKAKEE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aqua Illinois (Aqua) today announced plans to complete $30.1 million in improvements and repairs to drinking water and wastewater systems in communities throughout the state in 2014. Projects include treatment plant improvements, water main and meter replacements, and other infrastructure projects that are critical to delivering quality water, providing reliable service and protecting public health.
Some of the capital projects planned for this year include:
- $8.6 million in water main replacements and system reinforcements in Kankakee County to ensure reliable service, improve water quality, and enhance fire protection.
- $6.6 million to construct a new water main between the villages of Bourbonnais and Manteno along Illinois State Route 45 for the purposes of bolstering the water distribution system grid in northern Kankakee County as well as for improvements surrounding the I-57 interchange project.
- $2 million in improvements to Aqua’s Kankakee water treatment plant to add redundancy, which will increase reliability, and ensure consistency of water quality for customers.
- $1.5 million to install new water mains, fire hydrants, and water services associated with the Illinois State Route 17 road reconstruction project.
- $2.6 million in Qualifying Infrastructure Plant Surcharge Program (QIP) improvements to reduce inflow and infiltration in the wastewater collection system and replace manholes to improve conveyance of wastewater to treatment facilities in Aqua’s Ellwood Greens, Candlewick, Willowbrook, and University Park divisions.
- $2 million in QIP improvements to upgrade and replace water mains, fire hydrants, main valves, and customer service lines to ensure reliable water service and improve system pressure and flow in Aqua’s Oak Run, Willowbrook, Candlewick, Fairhaven, and University Park Divisions.
- $3.2 million throughout the state in metering system replacements to ensure accurate readings and customer bills.
- Other enhancements to water and wastewater systems, including equipment replacements to ensure the long-term viability of the facilities.
“Aqua’s capital program is consistent with the type of improvements that the federal government says is required of the country’s aging drinking water and wastewater systems,” said Aqua Illinois President Terry Rakocy. “According to the Environmental Protection Agency, across the United States there are $384 billion in anticipated costs for repairs and replacement of transmission and distribution pipes, storage and treatment equipment and projects that are necessary to deliver safe supplies of drinking water over the next 20 years. EPA’s latest Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (2004) estimated $202.5 billion as the amount of a nationwide capital investment needed to control wastewater pollution of publicly owned wastewater treatment works for up to a 20-year period. The improvements Aqua is making will help ensure the continuation of reliable water and wastewater service and quality drinking water and adequate water pressure and flows for fire protection for Aqua customers.”
Last year, the company completed $13 million in infrastructure improvements across the state, after investing $14.7 million of similar improvements in 2012.
Aqua Illinois provides water and wastewater service to more than 63,000 homes and businesses in Boone, Champaign, Cook, Dekalb, Kane, Kankakee, Knox, Lake, Ogle, Vermilion, Will, and Winnebago counties throughout the State of Illinois. Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information, or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaAmerica and on Twitter at @MyAquaAmerica.
