South Beloit staff says aging lift stations force costly sewer upgrades, explores metering options to reduce bills

South Beloit public works staff told the City Council on June 2 that the city’s oldest sewer infrastructure needs replacement and that the resulting cost will likely require higher sewer rates or other mitigation.

A public works staff member who delivered the sewer report said the city "needs to replace Lift Station 1. It hasn't had anything done in a very, very long time," and noted the force main under the river is an undersized 4-inch line installed in the 1960s. The staff member added: "It's only gonna get more expensive and that's our oldest lift station."

The council was told the rate study was thorough and highlighted a few concentrated needs that the study placed highest: replacing Lift Station 1, abandoning a second old lift station as part of the work, and creating more gravity flow to reduce electricity costs. Staff said the city has raised rates in recent years to keep the plant operating but has not adjusted the rate structure to reflect expense increases since 2021, including reagent costs that "have gone up 40% since that time."

Why it matters: Staff said continuing to delay the work risks illegal discharges, repeated pumping costs and fines. The report warned the work would be expensive and that outside funding options appear limited: "We have been exploring extra funding... it just doesn't seem to be out there."

Options discussed included removing two aging lift stations in favor of one new station to reduce ongoing electricity and maintenance costs, and different meter strategies to make billing fairer for residents. Staff outlined a possible short-term program to loan or rent a small number of temporary sewer deduct meters for pool fills (with a deposit and limited usage), and earlier analysis showed a city-run metering program could cost roughly $300,000 to start for the first 500 meters but reduce per-unit costs later. The staff member said the city currently deducts water used to fill a new pool when a permit is issued.

Council members asked whether grants exist for metering; staff said meter grant programs exist but were skeptical they would apply to the city's planned use. Staff also said it is possible to install a secondary meter alongside American Water's meter to improve local data accuracy, but that approach would shift startup costs to residents for meter hardware and installation.

Discussion vs. decision: Council members did not adopt any new rate ordinance or formal funding plan at the meeting. Staff said the lift station project will be brought back for future budgeting and that work on meters and a detailed financing plan is ongoing. The staff member noted they will be absent for upcoming meetings and asked colleagues to continue the work.

Ending: The council did not vote on a construction contract or rate adjustment at the June 2 meeting; staff flagged the lift-station replacement as a near-term capital priority and recommended further design and financing work be returned to council for decisions.