The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) has approved nearly $5 million — to design a new water treatment plant. They’ll be retaining construction engineering company Black & Veatch to handle engineering and design.
The EWSU expects this phase to take up to nine months. It includes renovating the existing South Water Treatment Plant, and incorporating groundwater, said EWSU Executive Director Vic Kelson.
“We're going to be taking water from not only the river, but also the aquifer that lies underneath the city. More importantly, what it tells our ratepayers is that we're going to be improving our water quality over time.”
He said because they'll be using a blend of groundwater and river water, the cost of eliminating PFAS from their supply will be reduced while improving quality. PFAS, a suspected carcinogen, is among the substances municipal water systems must be able to eliminate from drinking water, due to federal regulations.
The announcement of a design phase comes after nearly one year of exploring the possibility of using groundwater as an extra source.
The city also was handed an EPA consent decree, which compelled the city to pursue new projects – including a new water plant. Some early designs were scrapped for being too expensive.
Kelson said building a groundwater plant will likely cost about $100 million less in construction costs, by utilizing and upgrading existing infrastructure.
“…and that doesn't include the fact that in a few years, we'd have to do another rate case to add another 100 million dollars to the surface water plant for PFAs removal. So all in all, it's a huge cost savings, and it will give us better quality.”
The groundwater has no detectable PFAS – but the Ohio River does.
Once the design is complete, the city will know exactly what it will cost. There’s no set timeline for the project but construction could take two or three years.
Kelson does not expect this project to weaken the water supply of any county well water users.
Support independent journalism today. You rely on WNIN to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Give to grow our local reporting today. Donate