A ‘has to happen’ project: St. Charles hopes 2027 brings start of east side sewer upgrades

St. Charles officials are hopeful that 2027 will bring the start of an extensive sewer system upgrade to the city’s east side.

The multi-year project is expected to top $39 million. Improvements will replace a sewer system that is more than 70 years old and add capacity to accommodate future growth, St. Charles’ Deputy City Administrator Derek Conley said. The project will be covered by the recently approved utility rate increases.

“This project needs to happen,” Conley said. “Our current system has parts that are over 75 years old. It’s not just a capacity issue; it’s an old system that needs to be improved.”

The project would run from the city’s far east side near Charlestowne Mall to the city’s wastewater treatment facility off 7th Avenue near the eastern shore of the Fox River.

While the city has enough capacity to handle some planned future developments on the city’s east side, Conley said the system’s limits have been challenging for developers.

“I’ve had to tell developers we can’t accommodate their project,” he said.

St. Charles aldermen expressed support for moving forward during a recent workshop meeting. No votes were taken during the June 22 workshop meeting. Aldermen will have to approve final bids and plans for the project.

“We have to do it,” Alderwoman Vicki Spellman said. “We cannot let the east side not develop. We cannot let the Charlestowne Mall sit there forever.”

At the June workshop meeting, city officials noted that a developer who had considered redeveloping the mall decided in May that the proposal was not viable.

Earlier this year, city council members approved utility rate hikes to help cover $417 million in water and sewer projects, including sewer improvements on the city’s east side.

Residents with a monthly utility bill of about $200 will see that increase to $298.31 by 2029, city officials have said.

Water, sewer and electricity rates are combined into a monthly bill for residents. Under the new rate structure, bills jumped by 17.3% this month. In 2027, rates are expected to increase 14.7%, followed by a 6.4% increase in 2029 and 4.1% increase in June of 2029.