Quincy, Illinois, Water & Sewer Funds Projected for the Next 10 Years

Projects to improve Quincy, Illinois', water and sewer funds over the next 10 years are estimated to cost close to $100 million.

The Herald-Whig reported that during a Quincy Utilities Committee meeting, that Public Works Director Jeffrey Conte said these estimates were updated based on current inflation rates.

"These (costs) went up significantly from what I had a month ago," Conte said during the meeting, reported The Herald-Whig. "In three years' time, we're looking at upgrading our treatment plant to remove PFAs, which is going to be regulated beginning next fall and we'll have three years to comply with that. This is going to require putting in granular activated carbon filters and the estimate for that right now is about $12 million."

The capital projects for the water fund are estimated to cost $52.8 million over the next 10 years. The breakdown for the distribution of funds is as follows: approximately $25 million will be for water treatment plant improvements; about $14 million will go towards ordinary distribution systems improvements associated with street projects; and $14 million for lead service line replacements mandated by the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act.

A key aspect of the project includes a pump station replacement, which costs $7 million.

According to The Herald-Whig, "the lead service line estimate for Quincy was set at the minimum rate for lead service replacements by law and assumes the city will receive matching grant funding."

Communities with 5,000 to 9,999 lead service lines must replace all of their lines within 20 years starting in 2027, according to the law, reported The Herald-Whig.

Each replacement costs about $7,500, estimates Conte, reported The Herald-Whig. There are over 6,000 lead service lines in the city. 

The major capital projects for the sewer are estimated to cost $46 million over the next 10 years. This includes:

• $7 million for the second phase of a combined sewer overflow project to improve water filtration;
• $6 million is planned for wastewater treatment plant improvements next year;
• And another $4 million is set aside for the treatment plant's digestion system in 2025.

A total of approximately $22 million is anticipated for the sewage treatment plant; $10 million estimated for combined sewer overflow; and $14 million is planned for collection systems improvements for work related to street projects.

According to Conte, by the end of the 2032 fiscal year the city will be at $11.5 million in operating revenues, reported The Herald-Whig. However, he adds that by the time Quincy gets to the 2032 fiscal year, about $27 million will be required for operations.