The Peoria City Council approved sharing $200,000 in costs with the Greater Peoria Sanitary District to collect water flow data in parts of the city’s sewer system. Officials say the data would help as the city negotiates combined-sewer-overflow repairs with the EPA. City Councilman Jim Montelongo was the only no vote. He says money spent preparing for a federal mandate could have gone elsewhere:
“Especially when you drive around Peoria and you’re hitting all these roads and potholes and uneven pavements, and you’re saying, ‘Where’s all the money?’ Well, I can show you $4 million that’s gone to CSO.”
Councilwoman Beth Jensen says preparing for a federal mandate isn’t new:
“We have been in the loop on this. At least as long as I’ve been on the council we’ve had numerous meetings about it.”
Councilmembers supporting the measure say the data collection is another step for the city as it crafts a plan to reduce sewer overflow. The City and EPA continue to negotiate a final cost and reduction strategy.