Madison County ARPA Investment Strengthens Water, Sewer Infrastructure
Federal relief funding is supporting sewer repairs and drinking water improvements across Madison County, with officials emphasizing lasting benefits and reduced pressure on local taxpayers.
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County directed nearly $9.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward water and sewer infrastructure projects serving communities across the county.
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The largest investment — $8.5 million — supports the Bethalto Interceptor, a regional sewer project benefiting several communities in the Bethalto and Wood River Township area.
“Water and sewer infrastructure is expensive, and those costs eventually fall back on local taxpayers,” County Board Chairman Chris Slusser said. “ARPA gave us an opportunity to partner with communities and put money into these projects without asking them to take on additional debt or pass those costs along through higher rates.”
The Bethalto Interceptor project addresses deterioration in a sanitary sewer line installed in the 1970s. Stormwater entering the aging system increased wastewater treatment costs, while sewage leakage posed environmental risks. The project uses a lining process to repair the existing pipe rather than replace it through extensive excavation.
Board member Mick Madison, of Bethalto (District 5), said investments of this size can make a significant difference for communities facing major infrastructure expenses.
“When the county can help fund a project of this magnitude, the benefit goes beyond the infrastructure itself,” Madison said. “It helps protect the residents and businesses who ultimately pay for these improvements.”
“Several of these projects can also be credited to previous board members who knew what their districts needed and made sure to ask for the funding,” Slusser said.
Beyond the Bethalto Interceptor, Madison County directed ARPA dollars toward drinking water and system improvements in Glen Carbon, Collinsville and several smaller water districts.
Glen Carbon received $662,500 for drinking water improvements, while Collinsville received $75,000. Tri-County Water, Northeast Central Water and Three County Water each received $100,000. Moro Water received $68,000, Meadowbrook Water received $50,000 and Bond/Madison Water received $50,000.
Those investments support a range of needs, including pumping equipment, generators, vehicles and other improvements needed to operate local water systems.
Most projects required local financial commitment from the participating community, allowing Madison County to combine ARPA dollars with local resources and increase the total investment. Fire districts and smaller water districts were exceptions to that requirement.
“Requiring a local commitment gave communities some skin in the game,” Slusser said. “By combining their resources with county ARPA dollars, we could stretch the funding further and accomplish more for local taxpayers.”
The county also invested $66,500 in its own Special Service Area #1 sanitary sewer system for GIS and CityWorks technology used to manage the system. SSA #1 serves portions of County Board Districts 10, 16, 20, 21 and 25.
The technology supports the county’s ability to maintain system information, track infrastructure and manage a sewer network serving thousands of connections.
Board member Chrissy Wiley, of Bethalto (District 14), said the investments address essential infrastructure residents depend on every day.
“Water and sewer systems are part of the basic infrastructure our communities depend on every day,” Wiley said. “Putting these dollars into needed improvements now helps strengthen those systems for the people who rely on them.”
Slusser said the county focused its one-time federal funding on projects with lasting benefits.
“These are investments that will continue benefiting our communities long after the ARPA program ends,” Slusser said. “If we can make these improvements while saving local taxpayers millions in costs, that is exactly the kind of impact we wanted these dollars to have.”
This is the second in a series examining Madison County’s ARPA investments and how the funding is benefiting communities throughout the county.
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