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Rend Lake breaks ground on $5 million electrical system upgrade

BY JIM MUIR, THE SOUTHERN

Thursday, April 19, 2007 6:41 AM CDT

WHITTINGTON - First step of what will be a two-and-a-half-year, $26 million journey began Wednesday when Rend Lake Conservancy District officials broke ground to begin a electrical system upgrade project.

District engineer Dean Barber explained that the electrical upgrade, expected to be completed in July 2008 for $5 million, is the first stage of a major renovation.

"This project will upgrade our medium voltage electrical equipment," Barber said. "It will also add automated controls for our distribution to give better water pressure and more consistent water pressure in our service area."

Barber joined a group of contractors, subcontractors and suppliers for the official groundbreaking at the water plant, about five miles north of Benton near Marcum Beach. The contract was awarded to Wissehr Electrical Contractors in Belleville and includes water treatment plant upgrades, construction of a new electrical room and an upgrade in service voltage from 2,400 volts to 4,160 volts.

Several motors for high service pumps, raw water pumps and a new motor for the backwater pump will be installed, along with a new emergency generator, Barber said.

While the electrical upgrade is under way, Barber said, the district will let bids for additional construction to expand the inter-city water plant. That project will run about $21 million and begins immediately following the electrical upgrade.

"This groundbreaking today is not just kicking off this one project; it's the start of a series of things," Barber said. "This project is expected to be completed next year and at the same time we'll have a contractor starting on the construction work to expand our production capacity from 20 million gallons per day to 27 million gallons per day."

Barber said the multi-faceted renovation will provide many future opportunities.

"The $21 million project will allow us to bring the city of Marion on board and also accommodate any new industry that wants to move to the area," Barber said. "It will also allow us to support all our existing customers as they continue to grow."

"This is going to make our entire system better for our customers," District General Manager Keith Thomason said. "This is the point where they can really start seeing the work that we have been doing on the planning stages and financing stages. Now they can actually start seeing the workers out there making a difference."

Thomason said the two-pronged construction project will stabilize the system and allow for growth in the communities served by Rend Lake.

"We're making a strong effort for economic development in our region," Thomason said.

The project will increase the district's daily capacity from 15 million to 21 million gallons of water daily for the district's 160,000 users. The district ranges from Mount Vernon and Enfield to Du Quoin and Carterville. RLCD recently signed a contract to provide water to Marion.

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