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Fox River Grove to begin multi-year water main replacement projects

The village of Fox River Grove is planning a multiyear program to replace aging water mains, projects that will be funded through a rise in water and sewer rates.

Many of the village's water mains are approaching 100 years old, making them more prone to breaks, Village Administrator Derek Soderholm said. The village typically sees anywhere from four to eight water main breaks in a year.

Anytime a water main breaks, the affected area has to be isolated, meaning residents there are without water during the repair, Soderholm said. Repairs can take as many as 12 hours, depending on the significance of the break.

"You never know when or where they're going to occur, there's no way to predict them," Soderholm said. "It's the older sections of town that have the original infrastructure installed. That's what we're looking to replace over the next few decades."

Fox River Grove plans on replacing the water main over 30 years on a "pay-as-you-go" basis with cash on hand, a move the village said will help maintain its debt-free status.

To fund the replacement program, the village raised this year's water and sewer rates by about 9.4%.

For the average household, this will amount to a $6.22 a month increase, Soderholm said. Those who use only the village's sewer services will see rates go up by 3.4%.

Aiming to offset these costs, the village board decided to eliminate Fox River Grove's vehicle sticker program, which is estimated to save residents about $40 a year.

If the village sees no development within the next two years, water and sewer rates are projected to increase further. However, if new development does occur, increasing the sale of water and sewer services, the village expects a reduction in the projected rate increases.

"As we add new customers through development, if there is more development and more water usage throughout the community, that means more revenue, and it will add downward pressure to the rates themselves," Soderholm said.

The first water main replacement program is scheduled for construction in 2024, according to a news release.

"We have to build up the revenue stream and accumulate enough funds, so that we can move forward with an appropriate-sized project," Soderholm said.

At this point, the water main replacements are expected to cost $14 million.

The village plans to put forward about $1 million every other year to complete the main replacements, Soderholm said, depending on the money available and timing.

"We're taking a proactive approach here to the water main infrastructure replacements and establishing a program, so that we don't get too far down the road and the infrastructure is 130 years old, and breaking left and right and very unreliable," Soderholm said.

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