St. Charles to cut ribbon on new lift station Sept. 16

The city of St. Charles will host a ribbon-cutting for the recently completed Riverside Lift Station at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16.

The event will include a brief ceremony outside, followed by guided tours of the facility at 50 Devereaux Way, just off Route 25. Parking is available on Deveroux Way and at the nearby Public Works facility.

A lift station is a pumping station that moves wastewater from a lower elevation to a higher elevation, which is important for efficient wastewater management.

The new lift station replaced the former station that was located across the street along the Fox River. The original station was built on top of an old wastewater treatment plant, which had underground tanks and other parts built in the early 1920s.

The $14.8 million project, which began in 2022, included removing the outdated lift station to construct the new station. The project also made improvements to the surrounding area and added amenities including new sitting areas, public restrooms, walking paths and improved vehicle accessibility.

The new lift station includes a dual wet well concrete structure with a capacity to pump 35 million gallons a day – an increase of 15.3 million gallons a day from the old station. A new emergency backup generator and odor control system also were installed.