Illinois American Water to upgrade Peoria water main

Illinois American Water will upgrade around 1,600ft of 12in water main near the Main Street and University Avenue intersection in Peoria as part of an overall improvement to the infrastructure in the area.

The company will invest approximately $800,000 to improve fire protection and water pressure to customers while helping to decrease future inconveniences caused by main breaks.

Peoria District operations manager Chris Johnson said: "The water main to be replaced in this area was installed in the early 1900s. By collaborating with the City of Peoria, we are able to make our necessary upgrades to enhance service and help decrease the overall inconvenience to residents during construction."

Work on the project is expected to begin in early March. The company together with the City of Peoria and contractors will finalise the work schedule and ensure appropriate traffic detours during construction.

The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that the nation’s water utilities will need to make more than $335bn in infrastructure investments over the next 20 years to ensure public health. The investments will be made available for replacing thousands of miles of pipe and upgrades to treatment plants, storage tanks and other assets.