Sandwich applies for IEPA loans to help finance estimated $17.2 million in water improvements

The city of Sandwich has applied for Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loans to help finance an estimated $17.2 million in improvements to its aging water system.

The projects involve the demolition of the Railroad Street Water Treatment Plant and subsequent expansion of the Clark Street Water Treatment Plant; the installation of a new booster pump station and pressure reducing valve station to establish a new pressure zone for the northwest portion of the city and the removal and replacement of about 54,000 lineal feet of undersized watermain.

There were no public comments at a public hearing about the projects during the March 17 Sandwich City Council meeting. Engineering Enterprises Vice President Steve Dennison had previously spoken to City Council members about the improvements that need to be made to the system. He told them the city’s water treatment plant on Railroad Street, constructed in 1939, is significantly past the date of its useful life.

“This is one of the older plants I’ve seen in northeast Illinois,” he said. “The ceiling is collapsing.”

In addition, he said the plant uses obsolete technology for the aeration of the water. “It works, but only for a period of time,” Dennison said.

The Illinois EPA has recommended replacing the facility, he said. Dennison said the city’s second water treatment plant on Clark Street – which has been operational since 1993 – can be modified and expanded to accommodate the decommissioning of the Railroad Street plant.

Officials also said that a new pressure zone should be added to serve the northwest portion of the city’s water system as the area frequently experiences low water pressure. The addition of a new booster pump and pressure reducing valve station will allow for a new pressure zone for that part of the city.

Removing and replacing undersized water main will improve flow rates and pressures in the system, according to officials.

City officials also are trying to make sure the water system is keeping up with the city’s growth. Sandwich is expected to grow from its current population of about 7,200 to about 13,000 by the year 2050.

A rate increase will be needed to repay the loans. That rate will be determined once final project costs are known.