A plan roughly a decade in the making is about to come to fruition in Macomb.
Work will begin next week on construction of a new water treatment plant. The single-story structure will be built at the northwest corner of Ward and Grant streets.
Public Works Director Alice Ohrtmann said the current water plant is more than a century old and is unreliable.
“We joke at the plant that it’s possessed. Almost every day something breaks, something goes bad. It’s a never-ending struggle to keep the plant going,” she said.
Ohrtmann said the equipment needs to be “babied a little bit.”
The new plant will have all new equipment.
Construction should take around 900 days.
“The contract that River City (Construction) is working under requires them to be done by December 25, 2028,” Ohrtmann said.
Funding for the $42.2 million plant comes from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Water Supply Loan Program. Ohrtmann said that includes $6 million in principal forgiveness, so the city will be paying back roughly $36 million. She said the state considers Macomb an economically disadvantaged community, so the city received a lower interest rate and a longer loan period.
Ohrtmann said the new facility will be easier to operate, in part because the water will come from an aquifer instead of being surface water.
“With surface water, the quality of the water changes all the time, and so you have to be really careful in your treatment to make sure you’re treating the actual water that’s coming in,” she said.
“Ground water tends to be a more constant flow of water and quality of water, so there are not as many adjustments to chemicals and things as there is with surface water.”
The city’s water currently comes from Spring Lake.
The current water treatment plant will eventually be demolished.
Ohrtmann and Mayor Mike Inman said the new plant is designed to handle future growth in Macomb and at Western Illinois University.
Inman called the plant an investment in the city’s future.
“We have several projects, including this, that we’re taking seriously to chart a course for a positive future for the city that includes growth. We understand that may be bucking the trend in some parts of the state, but we’re committed to that,” Inman said.
“We’re not taking outrageous chances. We’re taking calculated, specific steps to move this city in the right direction for positive growth in the future.”
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
