The City of Centralia broke ground Wednesday on its $28-million water treatment plant that will replace the nearly 100 year old facility.
Mayor Bryan Kuder called it a monumental event that will not only provide water to the city of Centralia but to 32,000 residents across the region.
“Not only is this for the residents, this is going to spur economic growth,” Kuder said.0” In the past we’ve actually had industry that wanted to come to Centralia, but because we could not produce enough water, they went to another community with their company and their jobs. Right now, the treatment plant produces three and a half million gallons of water a day. Our new water treatment plant will increase that up to six million, so we’re going to almost double what we produce right now.”
Kuder ran through the various grants the city has obtained to help pay for the plant as well as the low interest $34-million Illinois EPA loan that will be used to pay the rest of the cost over a 30 year period.
One of the engineers on the project, Andy Curry of Curry and Associates, says the current plant has produced fantastic water for 100 years and the new plant will utilize the same treatment process. He says some Centralia companies will provide some of the key equipment.
“EFI, Engineered Fluid Solutions, has a great big footprint on this project,” Curry said. “They are doing all of the major pumping systems at the plant, all of the chemical feed systems at the plant, and I believe they’re partnering with Industrial Mechanicals to help them get all those systems installed. So, there’s going to be a big footprint from Centralia folks building this plant as well as building stuff at the EFI facilities and transporting it to this site.”
Curry says the general contractor, Korte Luitjohn of Highland, is very competent as is the contractor on the new Carlyle Lake Waterline and the large waterline that will connect the new plant with the old plant.
City Manager Kory Smith says by contract the new plant should be completed by October, 2026. However, with good weather the timetable could move up.
Mayor Bryan Kuder speaking at the ground breaking.
Site of the new plant’s water clarifier.
