Created: Friday, September 19, 2008 12:00 a.m. CDT
FONT SIZE:

Ohio building $1.16 million water treatment plant

By Barb Kromphardtbkromphardt@bcrnews.comshaw news serviceOHIO - The village is hiking sewer rates 75 percent and borrowing $1.16 million from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to build a $1.6 million arsenic and iron removal water

The 20-year, low-interest IEPA loan will be combined with other local funds and a $350,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The new plant is needed to bring the city's water system into compliance with new federal contaminant levels for arsenic and iron. It also will improve the taste and odor of the town's drinking water. Work will begin in a couple of weeks, Mayor Charles Thomas said. Village water rates will rise about 75 percent next month, but still won't be much higher than those in nearby towns, Thomas said. The village had no choice but to build the plant, he said. "Water standards are getting tougher and tougher. You have to have a permit to run a water system, and the days of just pumping the water and drinking it are long gone."

saukvalley.com Multimedia

AP Video

Reader poll

How concerned are you about the unexplained deaths of thousands of fish in the Rock River?
Very
Somewhat
A little
Not at all

Blogs

» Simply Digital
Simply Digital

5 Search Tips I Learned in Middle School

Teenagers can find just about anything on the Internet. Is it because they're more technologically saavy? Probably not.
» Grammar Moses
Grammar Moses

Raise Them Right, and They'll Do Right on Father's Day

Daughter Ashley, the journalism/poly sci major who now is a congressional aide on Capitol Hill, sent Mose a special Father's Day card this past week.