A creative sewer project is taking place in the city of Mattoon, IL. A new satellite facility is opening to prevent untreated sewer water from overflowing into Riley Creek. During heavy storms, this becomes an even larger issue. The new treatment facility is located along North Sixth Street approximately one mile north of Piatt Avenue. The state-of-the-art satellite facility includes a screening structure for removing tree limbs, plastic bags and other debris from storm water that flows into the site. The facility’s flush tank, a 23-foot deep concrete basin that has a 160-foot circumference, has the capacity to hold nearly 2 million gallons of storm water and treat up to 15 million gallons of water per day. Additionally, the satellite facility is fully automated and is monitored via computer by staff at the wastewater treatment plant.
Other Sewer News: The village of Deerfield is having an avoidable problem with its sewer system. The primary issue the village is currently addressing: wipes which are clogging the system. It has also been a costly problem that comes with a hefty repair bill. The catch basin on Captain Lathrop Drive has shown a particular accumulation of wipes, creating additional maintenance for the town. The wipes are raked out and put in a dumpster. Interestingly, Captain Lathrop Drive has the system’s only pump, as the majority of homes are geographically lower than the sewer main. A project has begun to rectify the continual problem of debris. The goal is to remove it before sewage is treated, allowing the system to work smoothly.
And there’s more…. A sewer improvement (pilot) project has just begun for the city of Peoria. A new wastewater strategy will attempt to keep over 600,000 gallons of rainwater out of the city’s sewer system. It only takes one heavy storm to send 32 million gallons of rainwater rushing into Peoria’s combined sewer system. Rainwater overloads the system up to 30 times per year, sending sewage into the Illinois River.
