BELLEVILLE– Illinois American Water’s Interurban District, which serves the communities of East St. Louis, Granite City, Belleville and surrounding areas, has announced an approximately $12 million investment at the East St. Louis Water Treatment Plant. The investment, which kicked off earlier this year and will continue into 2016, will enhance reliability and operational efficiencies.
Earlier this year, Illinois American Water invested in the raw water intake piping system near the East St. Louis water treatment plant. The intake water main, which totals about nine miles and was originally installed in 1925, underwent needed improvements to replace damaged pipe segments. Also, new control valves and a control vault were installed to ensure reliability and enhance maintenance access.
This summer, additional work will begin to update the water treatment plant’s electrical service and water pre-treatment equipment. According to Grant Evitts, Senior Manager Production and Field Services for Illinois American Water’s Southern Division, current electrical and water treatment equipment are reaching the end of their life span.
To ensure continued reliability, the project includes a new 2.25 megawatt generator and power distribution switchgear. Also, critical electrical and SCADA monitoring systems will be upgraded for the new equipment. Overhead electrical lines distributing power to remote parts of the plant will also be replaced with underground lines to ensure safety and reliability. In addition, design of a new system to improve overall treatment efficiency is currently underway for a 2016 construction.
According to Evitts, the new system will save on maintenance and reduce chemical usage at the plant. He said, “When the project is completed, our operational efficiencies will not only be improved, but so will our environmental footprint.”
Illinois American Water has contracted Sachs Electric out of Granite City for this project. Sachs has committed to diverse participation on this project. Evitts explained, “At Illinois American Water, our greatest assets are our employees, suppliers, and contractors. We see diversity as a vital element to not only our company’s success, but that of our entire team.”
The U.S. EPA reports that the nation’s water utilities will need to make more than $384 billion in infrastructure investments by 2030 to ensure public health. These investments include replacing thousands of miles of pipe and upgrades to treatment plants, storage tanks and other assets. Illinois American Water’s investment in the Interurban District is just another example of continuous investments and improvements being made, helping to meet the demands of today’s customers and planning for the future.
About Illinois American Water – Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.
