The city of Centralia broke ground on its $28 million water treatment plant on Wednesday, which will replace the nearly 100-year-old plant.

Mayor Bryan Kuder spoke of a monumental event that will provide water not only to the city of Centralia, but to 32,000 residents across the region.

“It’s not just for the residents, it will also stimulate economic growth,” Kuder said. “In the past, companies actually wanted to come to Centralia, but because we couldn’t produce enough water, they moved their businesses and their jobs to another community. Currently, the wastewater treatment plant produces three and a half million gallons of water a day. Our new water treatment plant will increase that to six million, so we will almost double our current production.”

Kuder reviewed the various grants the city received to finance the plant, as well as the $34 million low-interest loan from the Illinois EPA that will pay the remaining costs over 30 years.

One of the engineers involved in the project, Andy Curry of Curry and Associates, says the existing plant produced fantastic water for 100 years and that the new plant will use the same treatment process. He says some Centralia companies will supply some of the key equipment.

“EFI, Engineered Fluid Solutions, has a big part in this project,” Curry said. “They’re building all the major pumping systems in the plant, all the chemical delivery systems in the plant, and I believe they’re working with Industrial Mechanicals to help them install all of those systems. So the folks at Centralia are going to have a big part in building that plant, as well as building the stuff in the EFI facilities and getting it shipped to that site.”

Curry says the general contractor, Korte Luitjohn of Highland, is very competent, as is the contractor for the new Carlyle Lake water main and the large water main that will connect the new power plant to the old one.

According to City Manager Kory Smith, the new facility is contracted to be completed by October 2026. However, if the weather is good, the schedule could be brought forward.

Mayor Bryan Kuder speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Location of the water treatment plant of the new plant.