Latest news with #WaterPollutionControlLoanProgram
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dixon council accepts bid for $21M project to update wastewater treatment plant
May 4—DIXON — Dixon city officials are moving forward with a $21 million project to update the aging infrastructure at the wastewater treatment plant. "This is going to be a long-term project," Public Works Director Matt Heckman said. "It's the revamping of all of the major systems at the wastewater treatment plant. Although they're still functioning properly at this moment, they have reached a point of mechanical life where we need to update or repair these things before they start to give us fits." At the April 21 Dixon City Council meeting, the council approved a bid of $18.257 million from Vissering Construction Co. of Streator. The project is expected to take about 18 months to complete, but next steps are dependent on the city being formally accepted into the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Water Pollution Control Loan Program, which is how the city is paying for the upgrades, Heckman said. So far, the city has received preliminary approvals from the program and expects to get that formal approval within the next two months, Heckman said. Based on the preliminary approvals, the entire project is eligible to be financed through the program, and the principal forgiveness increased from $4.8 million to $6.3 million, Heckman said. Principal forgiveness is a portion of the loan that is permanently removed; the borrower is not responsible for paying that amount. "That's a big win for us. It's been a pretty good week for the city of Dixon," Heckman said. The remaining costs will be financed at 1.2% interest over 30 years with an annual payment of about $600,000, "which is exactly where we want to be," Heckman said. This type of financing for costly needed projects "is a fairly effective way of doing the infrastructure," Mayor Glen Hughes said in an interview with Shaw Local Radio. Dixon's wastewater treatment plant "is over 20 years old. A lot of things need to be upgraded," Hughes said. "We've been talking about these improvements for many years," Heckman said, adding that if left as is, "you could have a critical failure at the wastewater treatment plant, which would not be ideal." Heckman said the updates also incorporate some upcoming regulatory changes from the IEPA mandating that by 2030, plants treating at least 1 million gallons a day must lower their phosphorus levels to 0.5 milligrams per liter, as part of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. "The Illinois EPA sets the standards for wastewater effluent. We take meeting and exceeding those standards very seriously. We want to keep our waterways clean. ... That's super important to us," Heckman said. Other repairs to the plant also were completed in late 2024. There were a couple screws — one broken, another fractured — that needed to be fixed because they're an important structural part of the system that moves the waste, Hughes said. The council approved a bid of $439,905 for that project at its Nov. 4 meeting. Those screws needed to be replaced for a long time. The issue was first brought to the city's attention under former Comptroller Rita Crundwell and was expected to cost about $35,000, council member Dennis Considine said in a previous interview with Shaw Local. Considine was elected to the council six months before Crundwell was escorted out of Dixon City Hall in handcuffs in April 2012 and convicted in 2013 of embezzling $53.7 million from the city. While Dixon struggled to pay for infrastructure and other projects, she used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle raising champion quarter horses, a $2 million tour bus, multiple homes and other trappings. The completion of that screw project wrapped up the list of backlogged projects. Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss said Friday "we're not catching up with anything from Crundwell" that he's aware of.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IL EPA awards water infrastructure grants in Central Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — More than $110 million is going towards local governments to lend them money to improve their water infrastructure. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced in a release Monday $112.7 million was invested in the first half of Fiscal Year 2025 as a part of the State Revolving Fund. This includes both the Water Pollution Control Loan Program which funds both wastewater and storm water projects and Public Water Supply Loan Program for drinking water projects. A part of the money is loan forgiveness towards recipients who qualify for either the Small Community rate or the Hardship rate. So far this year, $9.9 million in loans has been forgiven. Illinois State Comptroller warns of scams during tax season The state offered the loans at the interest rate of 1.87% for the fiscal year 2025. The program is funded through multiple ways including: federal capitalization funding, (which is combined with state matching funds), interest earnings, repayment money, and periodic bond sale proceeds. 'Illinois EPA is proud to operate a robust State Revolving Fund that allows us to partner with local governments in meeting the challenges of aging and deteriorating water infrastructure,' Acting Director of IL EPA James Jennings said. 'Our drinking water and wastewater loan programs provide our communities and water districts with vital funding needed to repair and replace the outdated or failing equipment.' Some of these projects were in Central Illinois, including the Village of Atwood, the Village of Strasburg, the City of Neoga, and the City of Assumption. More information about the program can be found on the Illinois EPA's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Knox County project earns Illinois EPA support
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings has announced the investment of more than $112 million through water infrastructure loans to local governments and water districts – including a Knox County project – for the first half of Fiscal Year 2025 (July – December 2024,) a news release says. The Illinois EPA State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program provides low-interest loans which fund wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water projects. Included in these investments is more than $9.9 million in loan forgiveness, provided to those recipients meeting the loan rules for either the Small Community Rate or Hardship Rate. 'Illinois EPA is proud to operate a robust State Revolving Fund that allows us to partner with local governments in meeting the challenges of aging and deteriorating water infrastructure,' said Jennings. 'Our drinking water and wastewater loan programs provide our communities and water districts with vital funding needed to repair and replace the outdated or failing equipment.' Illinois EPA's SRF includes two loan programs, the Water Pollution Control Loan Program which funds both wastewater and stormwater projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program for drinking water projects. Both programs provide funding at a low interest rate of just 1.87 percent for State FY25. These SRF programs receive federal capitalization funding annually, which is combined with state matching funds, interest earnings, repayment money, and periodic bond sale proceeds, to form a multiple source of financing for these infrastructure projects. For more information about Illinois EPA's SRF, visit here. July – December 2024 Loans (FY25-Q1 & Q2)+C1:G10 County Recipient Description Amount Principal Forgiveness Champaign Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District The District will increase flow for the southwest treatment plant (SWP). The current SWP has equipment that is approaching the end of its reliable service life or needs upgrading. Increasing the SWP capacity is needed to properly remove nitrogenous compounds from wastewater. $43,084,944 Christian City of Assumption The City will construct a new water treatment plant that will house high service pumps, pressure filters, ion-exchange softening units, anion exchange units and a chemical feed system. The current filter and softener at the existing plant are nearing the end of their design life and need to be replaced. $4,005,518 $2,843,918 Cook Metropolitan Water Reclamation District The District will rehabilitate existing railings, install mechanical mixers, rehabilitate concrete slabs and structures, and miscellaneous associated piping, electrical equipment, and related appurtenances at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. $55,358,345 Cumberland City of Neoga The City will replace watermains, as well as all associated hydrants, meters, service lines, and appurtenances. Construction is being funded with a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Community Development Block Grant. Illinois EPA is funding costs associated with engineering and legal services. $117,500 Knox Village of Yates City The Village will drill a new public water supply well. The Village will receive $999,028 in disadvantaged community principal forgiveness and $408,054 in One Well Critical Review principal forgiveness to cover the entirety of the loan. $1,407,082 $1,407,082 Macoupin Otter Lake Water Commission The Commission will replace the water transmission main between Auburn and Pawnee with new watermain. The water transmission main will be constructed between Auburn and Pawnee on the north side of State Rt. 104. $3,921,461 $2,784,237 Madison Village of Maryville The Village will install watermain and related appurtenances. The proposed improvements will allow the Village to improve aging system infrastructure while continuing to provide drinking water to customers. $640,000 Piatt and Douglas Village of Atwood The Village will rehabilitate, upgrade, and complete general improvements at the existing wastewater treatment plant. A new storage shed will also be constructed. Additionally, sewer lining with cured-in-place pipe-lining of sanitary sewers will be completed. $1,910,259 $567,078 Shelby Village of Strasburg The Village will upgrade the existing lagoon including excavation to a further depth, installation of an aeration system, and rerouting the influent and effluent piping. Additional construction includes installation of a lift station, force main to transport sewer flows from Stewardson-Strasburg CUSD 5A to the Village's wastewater treatment plant. The Village will receive $672,005 in affordability criteria principal forgiveness, $815,092 in Wastewater Treatment Facility Consolidation principal forgiveness, and $815,092 in Wastewater Treatment Facility Compliance Solution principal forgiveness to cover the entirety of the loan. $2,302,189 $2,302,189 TOTAL $112,747,297 $9,904,503 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
