American Water Works : Illinois American Water to Invest over $8 Million in Champaign County

Work includes over 24,000 feet of water main, and 7,000 feet of sewer main lining

Champaign, Ill. (July 28, 2021) - Illinois American Water is investing over $8 million to upgrade water and wastewater systems in Champaign County. Projects include replacing water main, increasing water main size and looping, and installing sewer main lining.

According to Brian Wiemers, senior manager of operations for Illinois American Water's Eastern Division, 'Many communities are facing the need to upgrade pipes and sewer mains for quality service and community growth. Continuous investments support reliable water and wastewater service to our customers.'

Water Main Replacement Projects
Over 24,000 feet, or 4.5 miles, of water main will be replaced across the Champaign County area including Champaign, Fisher, Sadorus, St. Joseph, Sidney and Urbana. Motorists should use caution in construction areas and obey traffic signs, detour routes and flaggers. A map of water system projects can be viewed here.

Wiemers added that the upgrades include 'larger-sized water mains to support water flow and pressure for water quality and fire protection.' He said, 'By planning water main replacements we can address leaks and avoid water waste. This is a safer alternative for our customers and employees than waiting until an emergency occurs.'

Sewer Main Lining
Approximately 7,000 feet of sewer lining occurred in Fisher earlier this year. The sewer lining will improve the wastewater collection system's integrity and reliability and reduce the potential for backups, infiltration and inflows. This brings the total length of completed sewer main lining projects completed in Fisher to over 14,000 feet.

Illinois American Water acquired the Village of Fisher water and wastewater systems in 2018 and made a commitment to invest approximately $2.9 million in the first five years of ownership. Part of this commitment was wastewater treatment and collection system improvements. To view a map of wastewater system projects please visit here.

Customer Outreach
Wiemers explained Illinois American Water has a process in place to decrease customer impact during construction. He said, 'We understand construction in customers' neighborhoods can cause a temporary inconvenience. Our priority is to work as safely and quickly as possible. There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees and contract employees. We thank our customers for their understanding as we make these upgrades.'

Customers affected by a project will be notified via a letter about the impact and any necessary steps. The letter will include a local contact for questions. In addition, Illinois American Water and the contractor(s) on the projects will provide continuous updates as work occurs. These updates may be provided via door hangers as well as via Illinois American Water's customer notification system which contacts customers via phone and text, or email based on customer preferences. Customers are encouraged to update their contact information at www.illinoisamwater.com or by calling the customer service center at 800-422- 2782.

Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. For more information, visit www.illinoisamwater.com and follow Illinois American Water on Twitter and Facebook.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.