Illinois American Water is touting its technology as the utility celebrates its 130th year of service in greater Peoria.
It’s Illinois River Station at the base of Peoria's McCluggage Bridge currently supplies 53,000 customers. The treatment facility utilizes three UV - or ultraviolet light - reactors to treat 13 million gallons of water daily.
Superintendent Lori Horstman says the technology is an added water treatment safeguard.
“They’re there to disinfect, to remove bacteria, viruses and make the water safe to drink,” said Horstman.
Horstman adds the Peoria facility was the second in Illinois to install the U-V treatment system.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill) toured the treatment operation Wednesday. She donned a lab coat, safety glasses and hardhat to assist with a water test.
“This is the way I find out what's going on, what people do for a living. And in this case, learning about the water (and) that when we just wake up and turn on our tap and we take our shower and we take our first drink of water in the morning, you realize there's a heck of a lot of work that goes on to make that happen,” said Bustos.
At the end of the tour, Bustos then presented leadership with a Congressional Record in honor of Illinois American Water’s 130th anniversary.
