The Galesburg Sanitary District wastewater treatment plant has been named a Plant of the Year in Illinois.
At its recent annual conference in Springfield, the Illinois Association of Water Pollution Control Operators (IAWPCO) named the Galesburg Sanitary District Wastewater Treatment Plant as the Group 1 Plant Of The Year.
Annually, wastewater treatment plants in four size divisions are recognized for excellence in all aspects of operations, maintenance, training, upkeep, and treatment quality. The contenders are first nominated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the finalists are then scored by an IAWPCO Committee, based upon an on-site inspection and interview.
Galesburg Sanitary District Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Brandi Young was on hand to receive the award and traveling trophy.
“I’m thankful every day for our employees’ hard work and dedication, and proud that we have earned this award to demonstrate that,” Young said. “We are very honored to have been nominated by the IEPA, and to have actually been named the winner makes it even more special.”
The Galesburg Sanitary District still operates the original wastewater treatment plant that was constructed in 1930, alongside a second treatment works built in 1970.
“This Plant does an outstanding job of performing the tasks that it was designed for,” said Marshall Schrader, Superintendent of the Galesburg Sanitary District. “Unfortunately, not only have parts of it functioned well beyond normal life expectancy for operations like this, but it simply is not able to meet future limits promulgated by the Illinois and US EPA.”
Efforts to replace the aging infrastructure began in 2021 and will continue for the next several years.
“The fact that this Plant can be recognized for excellence today is a testament to the dedication of so many people who not only work here now, but also those who have come before and have invested so much care into keeping it in top condition,” Schrader said. “That doesn’t happen by chance.”
