Construction is set to begin on a new $8.1 million water filtration plant in Peoria Heights, believed to be the largest public works project in the village’s history.
“It’s just a completely game changer for us,” said Mayor Matt Wigginton on Friday at a groundbreaking for the new facility on the site of the existing water tank at 5413 N. Galena Rd.
“We are modernizing our water system from literally the ground up, and to be able to have filtered water for the first time in a 128-year history of the Heights — this is a very big deal.”
The new 3,000-square-foot filtration plant initially will be able to remove manganese and iron from the village’s water system, with capacity for future expansion to limit the presence of PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances], commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
Illinois 17th District U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, helped secure $1 million in federal funding to advance the project.
“There are new challenges today that didn’t exist before. I think everybody understands what PFAS are, what forever chemicals are. Well, the plant behind me, when this goes into operation in one year, is going to filter out all of those forever chemicals,” said Sorensen.
“As we go forward, we’ve got to make sure that we’re repairing our infrastructure, but making sure that it works for the next 100 years. It is about being good stewards of our environment; it’s being good stewards of the community.”
Wigginton and Sorensen joined Democratic state Sen. Dave Koehler, village officials and public works employees and other community members at Friday’s ceremony.
“When we have a commodity that’s as precious as water, we need to do everything we can to make sure that it’s the best quality we can we can make it,” said Koehler.
Wigginton noted the addition of the filtration plant augments work to upgrade water infrastructure throughout the village with the replacement of existing lead service lines.
“We, as a community, decided to use our limited financial resources to ensure that every lead service line is replaced at no direct cost of the homeowner,” said Wigginton.
“We are demonstrating our unwavering support and commitment to ensure that current and future families have a future free of lead.”
The village is borrowing funds through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Water Supply Loan Program, with nearly $7 million of that loan expected to be forgiven. The balance is financed at an interest rate of 1.62%, and will be paid off in 28 years.
Leander Construction of Canton is the project’s lead contractor, while Missouri-based Woodard & Curran serves as the village’s water consultant overseeing the work, including engineering and design. That service comes at a cost of $945,000 to Peoria Heights.
“It’s a lot of planning, and we have a lot of people that have worked collaboratively to make this happen,” said Wigginton. “From a policy perspective, it’s a lot of frugality, saving to make sure this happened, but a lot of success.
“All of this has to play together, and it’s played well in Peoria Heights.”
