The Mt. Carmel City Council has taken the next step in a complete overhaul of the city’s water treatment plant that could take more than three years to complete. The City Council heard a report from Terry Boyer of Donohue and Associates about the results of an extensive study conducted on Mt. Carmel’s water plant and plans to upgrade it in the future. According to Boyer, preliminary design engineering will continue through March followed by final design engineering through the end of 2020. Also next year, the plans will submitted to the Illinois EPA for their approval heading into the early part of 2021…

The city is being forced by the EPA to make extensive, expensive upgrades the water plant to go with something new. Four alternatives were considered with the recommended option having a total price tag of $8.8 million. There was no discussion as to if or by how much water rates might increase to cover the cost of the project. The city council gave preliminary approval to proceeding with the next step pending a review of the contract by city attorney Kelli Storckman. No final decision has been made by the council on whether or not to proceed with the project.