[MONMOUTH, IL] – US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that Monmouth will receive $400,000 in federal funding to replace the city’s main wastewater treatment plant, which was built in the 1920s, and many of the city’s water mains, which are more than 100 years old. With the help of the State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG), awarded through the EPA, Monmouth will be able to move forward with plans to ensure that its residents enjoy access to safe, sanitary water.

“The delivery of fresh, reliable, Clean Water Act-compliant water is something all citizens should be able to depend on. The construction of this new wastewater treatment plant will guarantee that both the citizens and industries of Monmouth can depend on just that,” Durbin said.

“The assistance provided by this grant will help ensure the continued well-being of Monmouth’s citizens, as well as the preservation of jobs in the region which might otherwise be lost were the area’s largest employers to leave because of non-compliant water treatment,” Durbin said.

Currently, Monmouth’s deteriorating north facility is used exclusively by Famland Foods, which is the largest employer in the Warren, Henderson, Knox and Mercer County area, providing over 1,250 jobs. Like the main treatment plant for the rest of the town, which was built almost 90 years ago, this plant, built in the 1960s, is in dire need of replacement. Now, through the assistance of the federal funding, both plants will be made compliant with EPA discharge standards. Farmland Foods will be able to proceed with their planned $90 million expansion, which stands to add up to 300 new jobs to the area.

The new water mains will also guarantee the delivery of water in sufficient volume and pressure to allow local firefighters to combat fires.

The improvements to the city’s water delivery and treatment systems will also help:

*Provide sanitary and storm sewer separation projects *Replace the two outdated treatment plants with a single, economically efficient plant to meet the needs of both citizens and industry *Provide basic water-related services to existing citizens *Attract new economic development to the area