Belvidere council hears $83M wastewater plan tied to new IEPA phosphorus limit

Consultants from Baxter Woodman told the Belvidere City Council on July 14 that the city’s wastewater treatment plant will need major upgrades to meet new IEPA nutrient requirements, particularly a proposed total‑phosphorus limit of 0.5 milligrams per liter.

“This is a new contaminant that the wastewater treatment plant needs to remove prior to discharging water to the Kishwaukee River,” consultant Brent Pers said during a detailed presentation of the facility plan, noting the city secured a delay to meet the limit until 2035. Pers described a three‑phase approach: headworks upgrades, solids handling improvements, and a biological nutrient removal (BNR) process that would capture phosphorus biologically.

The facility plan lists estimated capital costs of about $22 million for phase one, $52 million for phase two and $16 million for phase three, producing a combined total just under $83 million; adding recommended ancillary scope (solar, sewer lining and agricultural BMPs) increases the estimate to roughly $87 million. Pers and Director Anderson explained that including those additional items would raise the city’s loan‑priority score for IEPA low‑interest financing and improve the chance of receiving funds at a historically low rate (the current IEPA figure cited was about 2.16 percent for covered projects this year).

Council members pressed on capacity and timing. Alderman Peterson asked whether the plant is near capacity; presenters said the plant is permitted for 5.9 million gallons per day and currently treats roughly 2.2 MGD on an average day. Staff emphasized that nutrient‑removal compliance and long‑term capacity are related but separate planning tracks: the recommended upgrades address permit compliance and equipment end‑of‑useful‑life and do not increase permitted flow, though the city owns adjacent land purchased for future expansion.

Baxter Woodman recommended pursuing all three phases plus the additional score‑raising scope to maximize the chance of receiving IEPA low‑interest loan dollars and to reduce long‑term operating and financing costs. The consultants outlined a preliminary timeline with two‑and‑a‑half years of design (fall 2025–spring 2028) and about three years of construction (2028–2031), positioning the work to be complete well ahead of the 2035 compliance date.

Next steps: Baxter Woodman will submit a proposal for preliminary design; staff recommended council review the facility‑plan report and direct follow‑up questions to Director Anderson. The presentation was informational; no funding authorization was taken at the meeting.