Illinois American Water to Upgrade Godfrey Wastewater System; Project includes Restoration to La Vista Creek Watershed

Next week, Illinois American Water will begin upgrades to wastewater infrastructure in Godfrey. Approximately $750,000 will be invested to replace two sections of a 24-inch wastewater effluent main. Work will also be completed to protect the existing wastewater force main which runs from the La Vista lift station to the Godfrey wastewater treatment plant.

This infrastructure, located along La Vista Creek, will be reinforced, and protected from the natural shifting of the creek and potential creek bank erosion. According to Ric Cooper, senior design engineer, the project "will not only upgrade wastewater infrastructure but will also protect and enhance the La Vista Creek watershed."

Cooper said, "Whenever possible, Illinois American Water incorporates green infrastructure and practices into our operations and capital investments. The La Vista Creek project focuses on protecting the environment and enhancing the beauty of La Vista Creek, La Vista Trail and the Village of Godfrey, while supporting reliable service."

Illinois American Water is partnering on necessary easements for the project with the Village of Godfrey, Great Rivers Land Preservation Association and Oblate Real Estate Trust. The project includes:

• Installation of natural limestone in areas along the creek bank which are prone to erosion.
• Installation of rip-rap, which is similar to large stones and rock, to further decrease erosion and create a streamlined transition to the natural limestone.
• Natural rock grade controls which dissipate energy and deflect stream flow back to the center of the channel to follow its natural course.
• Installation of Newbury riffles to help naturalize stream flow and prevent erosion of the La Vista Creek channel bed.
• Planting of native grasses and plants to restore the creek bank and beautify the area.

Illinois American Water has provided water service to the River Bend area for over 145 years and wastewater service to Godfrey since acquiring the system in November 2019. This project is part of the commitment made by the company to upgrade and protect local wastewater system infrastructure.

Cooper said, "Illinois American Water develops 5-year and 10-year capital plans to upgrade infrastructure and decrease environmental impact. This approach supports reliable service as well as community development."

The project requires a partial closure of La Vista Trail. The closure will start at the Route 100 access. A portion of the trail will be accessible from the La Vista Trail parking lot on Route 3.

Illinois American Water contracted with M3 Engineering, a certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) firm, to design the environmentally-friendly project. Plocher Construction will complete the construction. Weather permitting, the project should be completed this summer with native plantings in spring of 2022.

About Illinois American Water - 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. 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 make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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