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Fosterburg Water District
Upgrading of Existing Water Line
And
Addition of New Service Area
Fosterburg Water District (FWD) is making great strives to improve your water system in both a new water source and service area for those located North and South of and East of Bunker Hill.
To address the new water source, FWD have been working in the background for several years before 2006 in securing a new water source. This is due to the ever-increasing cost of water from our current provider, Illinois American Water (IAW), a “For-Profit” Corporation. Over the past years IAW has started assessing additional fees that have increased the total purchase price subtantially.
As of January of 2023, IAW imposed a new (record high) rate increase to all IAW water consumers. For FWD this equates to over 60% increase and will continue to increase for the anticipated time frame of 6 years in which that time the rate is anticipated to be over 70%.
FWD has not taken this continued greed lightly, the Board of Trustees have acted accordingly and as of December of 2021 made the decision to join a group of communities that have combined resources in acquiring a new water source. The communities (x7) are Fieldon, Jersey County Rural Water, Dorchester, City of Bunker Hill, Central Macoupin County Water, City of Carlinville, and Fosterburg Water District. This group was organized as a “Not-For-Profit” Corporation known as Illinois Alluvial Regional Water Company (Alluvial). There are rumors that this is Illinois American Water in disguise. THIS IS FALSE! Alluvial has nothing to do with IAW, it’s its own entity organized for the sole purpose of drinking water being controlled by local people from each community that has membership with Alluvial.
Likewise, there are no stock holders, therefore no stock dividends to be paid keep oprational cost down. There is no one person or group of individuals that own Alluvial. Alluvial is it own stand alone entity organized, as noted above, as a "Not- For-Profit Corporation". The ownership is by memberships and then the membership is from each community that Alluvial will provide water to. As time moves on it is anticipated that other communitities will join the ranks and therefore will become members of alluvial with controlling interests for their communities as rightful members of Alluvial with full voting powers on the operation of Alluvial.
For more information regarding the new water source can be found at www.illinoisalluvial.com
To be able to utilize the new water source FWD is required to make some internal modifications to its distribution system. The proposed modifications will require approximately 17 miles of new water main to be constructed. The new water line will ensure proper water flow back into its existing distribution system to maintain proper water pressures.
For most customers, the water pressure will not notice any change, for others those customers at times are witnessing a spike in water pressure, this will cease to be the case. The new water system is being engineered to free flow into FWD distribution system. In doing so without the need for any pumping stations. In part the water will be coming from the North and flowing South (downhill). Likewise, today the water is being pushed uphill and requires pumps to move the water from South to North.
About half the proposed new water line will be installed in an area whereby FWD has an existing water line, but due to the smaller water line size, does require an increase in pipe size. This will ensure adequate water flow into FWD infrastructure. The other portion will encompass a new service area, as noted above, North and South of and East of Bunker Hill. This area currently no one service water to and those homes are reliant on well water or pond water for everyday water needs.
The new service area water lines are required to bring water to FWD existing water lines to allow for additional connection points to FWD distribution. The addition of the new water lines will eliminate several dead-end water lines. In which will improve not only water pressures, but water quality as well.
The required cost to construct is $4.223 million to complete the modifications. Therefore, FWD has applied and has been approved for a loan from the Department of Agriculture, more specifically Rural Development (RD). The low interest loan 3.0% and shall be for 40 years. FWD will be required to contribute approximately $28,500 towards the project.
Time frame to start construction is estimated as being 12 to 18 months and once started will take 6 to 9 months to complete the work.
