Wheaton Sanitary District to upgrade with $2.6M in federal EPA funding

The Wheaton Sanitary District — which treats wastewater for parts of Wheaton, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn and Winfield — is set to receive $2,655,400 in federal funding to begin construction on treatment improvements, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten recently announced.

The upgrades coming to the district represent one of Casten’s 14 community funding projects that the Downers Grove Democrat secured in fiscal year 2023 through the Environmental Protection Agency. Other projects included $1 million for five electric Pace buses, $1.5 million for construction on the DuPage River Trail and $2 million for efficiency improvements at Willowbrook Wildlife Center.

At Wheaton Sanitary District, the funds will be used to keep local streams, rivers and waterways clean via several secondary clarifier improvements, Executive Director Matthew Larson said.

“Clean streams, rivers, and waterways are important to every community, and Wheaton Sanitary District takes pride in being able to support this in the communities we serve,” Larson said in a press release.

The district’s service area also covers unincorporated portions of DuPage County, including the County complex.

“After an extremely competitive project submission process and many months spent advocating tirelessly for our community, I am excited to see this project in action,” Casten said in the release. “I am proud to have fought for funding that will improve wastewater treatment and keep our community’s waterways clean.”

• Jenny Whidden is a climate change and environment writer working with the Daily Herald through a partnership with Report For America supported by The Nature Conservancy. To help support her work with a tax-deductible donation, see dailyherald.com/rfa.