Maurer-Stutz, Inc., and our sub-consultant Midwest Engineering Professionals (MEP) worked in conjunction with The Wetlands Initiative on a water infrastructure project at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge near Hennepin, IL. The project included replacement of a propeller pump equipped with an above grade motor with a submersible pump and motor. The goal of the project was to eliminate potential motor failure if flood conditions breached the levee and submerged the pump station. The original pump station was installed in 1976 and later upgraded in 1997.

To further maintain an operable pump station during high flood conditions on the wetlands side of the levee, all of the electrical power feed equipment was elevated on a concrete pad to the 500 year flood elevation. An electrical control building, which housed all of the pump controls, was also constructed at the 500 year flood elevation.

The pump station includes one pump, which is rated at 30,000 gpm.

Due to aging facilities and a need to streamline infrastructure, Illinois American Water Company’s Master Plan called for an existing booster station to be eliminated and a ground storage facility to be abandoned.  To accomplish this plan a new booster station was required.

Illinois American Water Company purchased a pre-packaged booster station and contracted Maurer-Stutz, Inc. to design suction and discharge connections, electric power service, and site design items for installation of the station.  The booster station was equipped with two 1100 gpm pumps and one 700 gpm pump.

Maurer-Stutz performed a site survey, prepared drawings and bidding documents for installation of the booster station (including structural foundation drawings), assisted with permit acquisition, performed construction administration services, and observed construction activities.  

Maurer-Stutz, Inc. analyzed several options for accessing raw water resources to provide for a secondary raw water supply source for the community, including traditional small diameter wells, a river intake and a large diameter radial collector well.  A large diameter radial collector well was selected as the preferred alternative due to site constraints, water resource limitations and various permitting and regulatory impacts.

The radial collector well consists of a 17 foot I.D., 24” thick reinforced concrete caisson that is 74 feet deep with four horizontal collector laterals each extending approximately 200 feet out into water bearing strata.  A pre-fabricated booster pump station sits on top of the caisson housing the motors and controls.  The booster pump station includes three 2,100 gpm vertical turbine pumps equipped with variable frequency drives (VFD’s).  Telemetry and SCADA were part of this project with antennas located at the collector well, water treatment plant, two water towers and a location between the collector well and water treatment plant. The project also consisted of the construction of a building to house a 500 kW emergency generator and automatic transfer switch.  

The Village of Peoria Heights maintains five active wells in their water system.  Well No. 10 had to be abandoned due to poor production.  This left the Village vulnerable with minimal backup capacity during peak demand periods.  The project involved drilling Well #12 to replace the abandoned well, installation of a vertical turbine pump, constructing a well house to enclose the pump head and electrical equipment, and installation of approximately 260’ of 12” water main to connect the new well to the existing distribution system.  Located in the SanKoty Aquifier, the well has a 16” casing and is drilled to a depth of 125’.  The capacity of the well is approximately 700 gpm.  The project was funded by a low interest IEPA loan.

The unincorporated area of Wee-Ma-Tuk Hills Subdivision began planning efforts to provide a potable water system to its residents.  Property owners had previously been obtaining their potable water supply from shallow and deep wells or from the strip-mined lakes which characterize the area.  As the planning efforts progressed, the town of Fiatt which was located north of the subdivision was also included and the Wee-Ma-Tuk Water District was formed.  A combination of factors including drought conditions and poor water quality provided the impetus for the District’s desire to bring a reliable, plentiful source of potable water to the area.   A water distribution system model was used to evaluate future growth scenarios and identify the scope of the capital improvements.  Design included a pre-fabricated water booster pump station that houses two 85 gpm pumps, controls, valves and piping and a future chemical feed room, and telemetry.