PRINCETON — Work is underway on a four million gallon excess flow lagoon to help alleviate overflow water problems caused by periodic heavy rains in Princeton.
On Monday, Princeton’s Wastewater Department Superintendent Scott Wallis said the nearly $4 million project will hopefully be completed by early summer. Thanks to this year’s mild winter, the onsite work has begun earlier than originally anticipated.
The project includes not only the establishment of a four million gallon excess flow lagoon on the southeast edge of Princeton, southeast of Zearing Park, but also includes an upgrade to the Park Avenue East/Sixth Street lift station and the replacement of water lines from Perry Memorial Hospital eastward to the lift station, Wallis said.
As reported earlier in the Bureau County Republican, the Princeton City Council awarded a bid of $1,816,000 in April 2011 to Leander Construction Inc. of Canton for the building of an excess flow lagoon and sewer rehabilitation work. At the same April 2011 meeting, the city council also awarded a contract to L.A. Sites Sewer and Water of Frankfort for southeast area excess flow facilities work, with a low bid of $1,777,875. The total cost for the project is about $95,000 less than the engineer’s original estimate.
On Monday, Wallis said Princeton has received a state revolving loan through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to handle the cost of the project. The loan agreement states 25 percent of the loan will be forgiven with the remaining 75 percent repaid at a 1.25 percent interest rate for a 20-year period.
In looking at the need for the project, Wallis said the excess flow lagoon and sewer system upgrade will help the city handle problems caused when heavy rains fill up the city sewer lines, not only with sanitary sewer but also with ground water seeping into the old lines. With the upgrade, the Park Avenue/Sixth Street lift station will have an automatic meter to calculate the level of water flow in the line and then direct the excess flow to the excess flow lagoon as needed. The excess water will be stored in the lagoon until it can be re-entered into the system and processed through the wastewater plant, Wallis added.
Hopefully, the spring will not bring any extensive, heavy rains until the new system can be completed and go online, Wallis said.
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