Illinois American Water completes improvements to water treatment plant
Illinois American Water Interurban (Metro East) District completed the final stages of significant upgrades to its historic water treatment plant. Since 2019, $157 million has been invested in major upgrades and enhancements. The original water plant was built in the late 1800s and while continually upgraded over time, the focus was on service reliability, water quality and operational efficiencies. It serves a population of more than 350,000 in the Metro East with a daily demand of approximately 39.3 million gallons.
New construction included an elevated water storage tank and two clear wells which triples storage capacity at the plant. A new ultraviolet water treatment system was introduced. As ultraviolet water treatment effectively deactivates bacteria, viruses and other pathogens in raw, untreated water from the river. This water treatment step is chemical-free and environmentally friendly. The upgrades increased the capacity of the backup diesel power generation. It includes a high service backup pump which runs in event of a power outage.
“The major investments to our East St. Louis plant over the past six years are strategic, significant and sustainable,” said Rebecca Losli, President, Illinois American Water. “The projects position us to continue providing quality water service in the Metro East that meets or surpasses regulatory quality standards.”
