Illinois American Water Begins Combined Sewer System Separation, Installing over Six Miles of Sanitary Sewer Main

ALTON – Illinois American Water is kicking off three significant projects to separate portions of the wastewater system from the stormwater system. Over six miles of sanitary sewer main will be installed in the Turner Tract, Shields Valley and Piasa Valley areas of Alton.

The image below outlines project site locations. According to Ethan Steinacher, operations manager for the Central Division which includes the Alton service area, when Illinois American Water acquired the Alton Regional Wastewater system the company made a commitment to address requirements set forth by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to remedy combined sewer overflows. He said, “An investment of $50 million over a decade will be made to separate portions of the combined system. This work supports wastewater service reliability and source water protection.”

The projects in Turner Tract and Shields Valley will start this month. The work in Piasa Valley should begin in the coming months. Due to the complexity involved with separating a combined sewer system, some of the work is expected to continue for over two years.

According to Steinacher, this does not mean work will occur in one area for 24 months, but rather, projects will continue to progress throughout neighborhoods during that time period.

He said, “This work is important for addressing the possibility of sewer overflows during significant rain events. We look forward to getting started and making this important investment for Alton’s future.”

As work progresses, Illinois American Water and contractors working on behalf of the company will provide important updates to customers. Communication efforts may include letters, postcards, door hangers and/or phone calls. Customers are encouraged to take note of these communications which will include important information. Motorists should use caution, obey traffic signs and follow detour routes when driving in the area. If possible, drivers should avoid this area. For the safety of employees and customers, customers are asked to not approach Illinois American Water employees or contractors while they are working in the field. Social distancing recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be followed.

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