The Diamond Village Board changed direction in its plan to construct a new water treatment facility. By a vote of 3-1, commissioners decided to design and construct a new Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant, rather than move forward with the existing design for an Ion Exchange (IX) facility.
This most recent decision was made during the board's Jan. 26 meeting, but it isn't the first time commissioners have considered the question of RO versus IX processing methods. It's a discussion that's been ongoing since the village started planning the water treatment plant project three years ago.
Diamond currently uses RO water processing, a treatment method that produces a more-refined product. The existing RO system is cumbersome and costly, though, leading commissioners to pursue IX as an alternative. Ion Exchange is the most common type of plant built in Illinois, as it is less costly to build and operate.
In 2007, based on projected water needs, Diamond contracted Chamlin & Associates to design a new IX plant. The completed design received Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) permit and was submitted last year for a $350,000 Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant.
With a completed, "shovel-ready" plan in place, Diamond made the CDAP grant list, and that $350,000 is still available for the project. The question is whether the CDAP funding will stay on the table long enough for Diamond to use it.
In past years, the CDAP process allowed design modifications, such as a switch from IX to RO, but the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 has changed the outlook for Diamond.
Because the village's water treatment plant was among the state's ready projects, Diamond's CDAP grant is funded by ARRA. The program gives an entity 120 days from the date of a signed grant agreement to let bids for an approved and permitted project. The ARRA time frame won't allow for the new IEPA permitting process.
What this means for Diamond is unclear. Since there's been no past federal input in the CDAP process, administrators are unable to say whether Diamond will get an extension.
It's also hard to say what the board's decision will cost in time and engineering fees. The village has spent $150,000 on site work, preliminary engineering reports, design and permitting for the IX plant plan. Much of that work will be used for the new RO design, but equipment design for the RO change is estimated at a minimum of $45,000.
McClure Engineering has been hired for the RO design. The company, which is based in East Moline, IL, is considered a specialist in RO construction.
New design and permitting could prolong the water treatment plant project by as much as three years, a situation Water Commissioner Dave Warner hoped the village would avoid.
"I'm convinced if we're going to move on this, it's got to be now," Warner said. He explained that construction bids are coming in low right now, and the cost to wait could make the project unattainable in the future.
That's a lesson Diamond learned during the recent wastewater treatment plant project, which became increasingly costly over time as Diamond waited for low-interest financing.
Warner was the only commissioner who voted no to change the plant to RO processing. Commissioners Kasher and Youngquist and Mayor Kernc voted yes; Commissioner Scholtes was absent from the Jan. 26 meeting.
Even though Warner said he prefers water from the RO plant, he could not justify the expense. RO is costlier to build, operate and maintain. It creates more waste and requires periodic membrane replacement to produce a high-quality product.
"It's basically taking bottled-water quality and using it for your showers, toilets and washing machine," Warner said.
Warner also explained that Diamond's current RO system is affected by the village's unique water quality. Diamond's sulfur content is difficult to filter out of the system. The problem, which has plagued Diamond's water operators for years, would be resolved by IX processing.
McClure engineers have not dealt with this elemental sulfur problem in the past, but they propose an additional finishing step to take care of the problem. The company also informed Diamond commissioners that a new RO plant would be more efficient than Diamond's existing facility.
In addition to the taste advantage, RO takes out seven times more sulfur than IX and RO removes other unwanted elements, such as lead. For that reason, the board decided to stick with RO.
"I don't want to spend the taxpayers money and have a lesser product out there," noted Commissioner Jeff Kasher.
Regardless of the design change, the board promised there would be no water surcharge to pay for the plant. Current water rates have allowed for a construction fund, and no additional fees will be needed for the project.
