Fox Lake receives APWA project of the year award

FOX LAKE – Fox Lake was named a recipient of the project of the year award from the American Public Works Association Chicago Metro Lake Branch Chapter.

This is the second consecutive year the village received the prestigious award.

The $20.7 million project included about 1.5 miles of force main, 1.9 miles of gravity sewer, 3.2 miles of water main, the construction of two new pump stations and pumping capacity upgrades to an existing station. The objective was to connect two separate utility service areas, north and south, that were bisected by the Chain O’Lakes.

The Water and Sewer Interconnect Project was submitted to APWA in December in the $5 million to $25 million environmental category.

In 2014, the village embarked on a master plan to evaluate the feasibility and costs of interconnecting the north and south systems versus maintaining two separate utility systems. With interconnection being the most cost-effective, reliable and flexible option, the village moved forward with construction in the fall of 2019. The project was successfully completed on time and within budget in the spring of 2022, allowing the village to improve upon aging water and sewer infrastructure.

Village staff and elected officials including Mayor Donny Schmit, Administrator Deb Waszak and Director of Public Works Kealan Noonan attended the 2023 Lake Branch awards luncheon Jan. 17, along with members from the village’s engineering firm, Trotter & Associates.

“One of the main benefits of this project was protecting the environment. It will also provide our residents with a sustainable sewer and water system,” Schmit said in a news release. “In addition, by combining two sewer and water systems into one, it will reduce costs for generations to come. It also increases the opportunity for additional development, which will increase revenues and allow the village to provide more services for our residents.”

Last year, the village received the project of the year award in the less than $5 million transportation category for the Nippersink Boulevard reconstruction.