PEKIN, Ill. — Pekin’s water is set for an upgrade.
Illinois American Water’s Pekin District announced Friday a $1.5 million transmission water main installation near the water treatment plant.
The 4,000 feet of main from that project would join the 3,000 feet of main installed last year, which cost $1.1 million.
The utility said the main purpose is to enhance the water flow, thus increasing fire protection.
“[The current main] is several decades old,” said Illinois American Water Spokesperson Karen Cotton.
“They’ve been working on this project and communicating with the fire department on the goal to upgrade the insurance service office rating for the department, because that’s rated on several different components, including water service and water flow.”
A high insurance service office rating can mean lower insurance costs for residents and businesses.
Cotton said the utility is doing all it can to prevent any unpleasant surprises in terms of service interruptions or changes.
“We’ve been communicating directly with customers, letting them know how it might impact them.
“We will be transferring services when this is completed, towards the end of the year, and we’ll work with customers directly to let them know any action they might need to take and how their water service might be affected.”
Illinois American Water’s Pekin District has over 14,600 customer connections, with a total population served of approximately 38,000 people.
