Geneva considers millions in sewage plant work

Complying with federal environmental law on how much phosphorus treated sewage effluent can have, and to improve other aspects of treatment will likely cost Geneva at least $5 million.

And if the standards get stricter, that bill could climb to $9 million, an engineering consultant told aldermen Monday night.

By January, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency wants a report from Geneva on how it intends to reduce the phosphorus its sewage treatment plant sends into the Fox River, Geneva Public Works Director Rich Babica said.

By July 2017, the city has to submit construction plans for making the improvements, and by July 2019 it has to wrap that construction, according to Dan Bounds, principal engineer with the engineering and construction firm CDM Smith, Babica said.

Increased levels of phosphorus in waterways is being blamed for eutrophication of lakes and rivers. Algae feed on the nutrient, growing excessively. Oxygen levels drop, which leads to a decrease of animals and other oxygen-dependent organisms in the water. Drinking water quality also decreases, among other results.

Besides reducing the phosphorus, the sewage treatment plant's aeration blowers - several of which are 45 years old - need to be replaced, according to Bob Van Gyseghem, Geneva's water superintendent. And putting the new blowers in may actually increase the phosphorus in the effluent.

Bounds' report assumes the Geneva plant will eventually need to treat 7.5 million gallons of sewage per day, including leachate from the old Midway Landfill on Fabyan Parkway. The city now treats 5 millions gallons a day.

Phosphorus in the effluent can't be more than 1 milligram per liter. Geneva's ranges from 1.5 milligrams to 2 milligrams per liter. And Bounds and Van Gyseghem said the government may set the standard lower, to .5 milligrams per liter.

Alderman Tom Simonian asked what the fines would be if Geneva decided to postpone making the improvements. Babica said it was likely the IEPA would obtain a court order to force the city to do so, and levy fines.

Later this month or in June, Babica and other city administrators will present options to the city council for paying for the work. Sewage treatment is paid for by users, not property taxes. The city could borrow the upfront money from a state revolving loan fund, he said. Elburn did that for the sewage treatment plant improvements it is constructing.

Geneva has budgeted $700,000 this year for development of plans.