In response to recent media stories regarding residents dealing with discolored water issues, the Village of Peoria Heights wants its citizens to know that it is aware of the problem and seeks their help in identifying where it is most common.
For some time, residents in parts of the community have complained of off-and- on, coffee- or tea-colored water flowing from their faucets.
First and foremost, Village officials wish to assure residents that the water is not harmful for drinking, cooking, bathing and other household uses. The water is routinely tested for contaminants – daily, in fact -- as it is in most communities, and the public is notified when those exceed allowable limits. Meanwhile, the water is treated to make it safe for consumption, consistent with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. There is nothing out of the ordinary in the water supply, at present. “Still, we very much understand the concerns of people when they turn on their taps and the water is not clear,” said Peoria Heights Mayor Michael Phelan. “That should be their expectation, and it’s ours, too. We’re working to address it.”
There are multiple explanations for the water discoloration. The most immediate one is that the Village is currently engaged in the semi-annual process of flushingits fire hydrants, which can stir up the natural minerals that settle in underground pipes, said Heights Public Works Superintendent Chris Chandler.
Meanwhile, water hydrants are opened for other reasons, as well, such as fighting fires, said Chandler. “Discolored water can also be caused by the age and/or type of material of plumbing within a private residence,” he said.
Sediment can accumulate in local pipes, in part, because much of the Heights’ original water infrastructure was built to accommodate a very large industrial user, the former Pabst brewery in the Village’s downtown. The brewery’s use of very large amounts of water consistently flushed those pipes. When the Pabst plant closed in 1982, far less water went through those pipes to keep them clear. Beyond that, “we have an older water system, parts of which are 110 years old,” said Village Administrator Dustin Sutton. That’s why the Village hired a consultant, Missouri-based Woodard & Curran, in late 2021 to analyze what needs repair and replacement in the water system and to put a price tag on it.
“Modernizing the water system has been and remains a top priority of the Village, but digging, removing and replacing those pipes takes time and it’s costly,” said Sutton.
The latter is true whether the water system remains in public hands or whether it is to be sold to the private sector, the pros and cons of which the Village Board has been deliberating. For much of the last year, Village officials have been trying to prepare the public for significant water rate increases no matter which direction the Board goes.
“Many communities are contending with these same issues, so we are not alone,”said Phelan.
Indeed, the City of Bloomington last fall authorized the doubling of its water rates over the next three years, with a 10-year window to modernize its century-old system at a cost of up to $400 million. Springfield recently raised its water rates, which are set to climb 32 percent in each of the next two years. The Peoria Heights Village Board approved a 10 percent hike in water rates last November, with likely more to come. Woodard & Curran has identified some $12 million in water infrastructure upgrades in just the next five years, more beyond that. Meanwhile, the Village consistently has been reinvesting in its water infrastructure.
Last fall, the Village spent $190,000 with a private firm to engage in a process called “ice pigging” in about a quarter of the community, which consisted of injecting an icy salt slurry into underground pipes, which then forces out whatever sediment is in them. The Village has taken steps to remove the build-up of manganese, another potential cause of the discolored water. About $150,000 has been invested in water treatment facilities in expectation of new government mandates requiring the removal of microplastics and other contaminants from the water supply. Lead line replacements are ongoing. Water mains and valves are replaced and wells are rehabilitated as they inevitably fail in an old system. A hydraulic model to create a more effective and efficient flushing program is now in the works.
The Village has tentatively budgeted more than $1.9 million for its waterworks in the coming fiscal year.
Residents who are having water issues are encouraged to contact the Village with their concerns at:
https://www.peoriaheights.org/waterdepartmentportal,
or by calling 309-686-2375, extension 1.
“We want to hear from our residents so we can detect any patterns and confront these problems where they persist,” said the mayor.
