Public works director outlines $40.6M Macomb water treatment project and warns of higher household bills

Public Works Director Alice Ortman told the Macomb City Council Committee of the Whole during a Jan. 26 public hearing that the city is applying for an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) public water supply loan to build a new water treatment facility, describing the proposal and its likely impacts.

Ortman read the IEPA-required project statement, saying the plant would include four wells, four reverse-osmosis units, about 1.5 million gallons of ground storage, a storage building, a high-service pump station and a standby generator. She said the city’s project schedule estimates construction will start in July 2026 and finish in August 2028 and that the preliminary project cost estimate is $40,606,506.

"The purpose of this public meeting is that the city is applying for an IEPA public water supply loan for the construction of a new water treatment facility," Ortman said. She added that the project has been through state environmental reviews, including checks for compliance with the Illinois Endangered Species Act, the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act, the Illinois Wetlands Act and a State Historic Preservation Office review under the National Historic Preservation Act; staff said those reviews found no expected negative impacts.

Ortman described financing and affordability projections. She said Macomb would qualify for the IEPA small-community loan rate (1.62 percent) and also referenced the state revolving fund (SRF) loan interest rate discussed in the packet. Based on the packet’s preliminary figures, she said a conservative, worst-case calculation would raise the average monthly residential water bill from about $60.55 to $79.58 for a household using roughly 6,667 gallons per month; using the city’s median household income of $39,753, the packet reported that water service would represent roughly 2.4 percent of MHI at the projected bill level.

Ortman said the city began implementing stepped rate increases about five years ago "so that it didn't come in one big step," noting the city has been phasing in debt-service changes to avoid a single large jump for residents. "That $25 is the worst-case scenario," she said of a possible additional monthly debt-service figure, emphasizing staff will update calculations once final loan terms and actual bid costs are known.

The packet and maps for the project are posted on the city's website under the water department; Ortman said the public may submit written comments within 14 days of the hearing, by Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, to Renee Lodes, city clerk, 232 East Jackson Street, Macomb, Illinois 61455, or to Lanaina Clark, project manager with the IEPA. Ortman invited questions and public comment.

During public comment, resident Keenan Albright praised the project and urged the city to build opportunities for tours and educational programs once the plant is complete: "I just if anything, would like to, hope that in the future with our new water plant, kids and children and even college students get the opportunity to take a tour and, over time learn about, our water source here in Macomb," he said.

The hearing was closed after public comment; council and staff said detailed financing and exact repayment amounts will be finalized after the city receives final loan terms and actual bid costs. Written public comments will be accepted through Feb. 9, 2026, as Ortman described.

The council did not take a formal vote on the project during the meeting; staff said the item remains in the IEPA loan application process and that detailed budget and repayment figures will be shared during upcoming budget talks once loan terms are known.