Itasca confident in plans for plant

Itasca officials this week approved a contract to begin design and engineering work for a new wastewater treatment plant.

If built, the proposed $36.7 million facility would replace the village's existing plant, which has been repaired numerous times since it was built in the 1920s.

Before the new construction project can happen, the village must get a permit and a low-interest loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Village officials are hoping to start construction in 2009 and finish by 2011.

Meanwhile, residents are going to start paying their share of project's cost.

Effective on the March bill, an Itasca household that uses 8,000 gallons of water a month will see its roughly $60 water and sewer bill jump by nearly 12 percent this year, and 75 percent by 2012.

Broken down, this means the combined water and sewer rate will increase from $6.95 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed to $7.78. In addition, minimum usage fees for most residential houses will increase from $4.60 to $8.10.

Village President Gigi Gruber said studies show that the existing plant is at a critical point right now.

"We looked at this to address the future of Itasca for many generations to come -- not just put a Band-Aid on what's already aged," Gruber said. "We've really made sure that we are making the right decision."

Officials said the new facility would be capable of processing 4 million gallons of wastewater daily -- 1.6 million gallons more than the existing plant.

The project was put on hold about three years by the IEPA. Since then, village officials developed relationships with environmental groups and, this time around, have gotten their support for the project.

Now, village officials are confident the project won't be delayed.

Village Engineer Al Stefan said one of the purposes of the new plant is to comply with IEPA regulations.

"The existing plant is getting pretty old and worn out, and they need to spend quite a bit of money to update the plant," he said. "In lieu of spending money on updating the plant, they're looking at putting in a new plant that will be state of the art."