Nearly $1M granted to Peoria Heights for water main replacements on IL Route 29

PEORIA HEIGHTS (25News Now) - The Village of Peoria Heights approved about $1 million to fix their aging water system along the busy route of Illinois Route 29.

Hands clapped and cheered at the Peoria Heights Village Hall when the city was granted nearly $1 million in federal funds, with the help of Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen.

This grant will help fund the portion of the $2.4 million project to replace water mains on Route 29. This is part of the $123 million through the U.S. House’s community project funding process.

“A couple of years ago, a board of trustees went through a water capital improvement plan because we knew the water system needed to be upgraded and a lot of investment for many years,” said Wayne Aldrich, Peoria Heights Director of Community Development.

This coordinated with the $70 million reconstruction project through the state’s Rebuild Illinois capital program. Aldrich said the water mains under the road have been aging, and it was the village’s responsibility to take care of it.

“We talked to the Illinois Department of Transportation, and instead of replacing parts, which came in conflict with their project, we said, ‘let’s fund the whole thing and replace it because it’s an aging infrastructure,’” said Aldrich.

Concerns about the water quality have been an ongoing issue for several years. The biggest complaint the city hears is brown water in homes and businesses.

This happens in some portions of the village, Aldrich said this comes from various reasons they’re trying to figure out, and Peoria Heights Mayor Micheal Phelan said he was in favor of that.

“As it takes the financial burden off of the village again, this is a million dollars and the entire water infrastructure project,” Phelan said.

Sorenson agreed with Phelan.

“As the mayor said, we shouldn’t tear up the road without knowing what’s underneath it,” Sorensen said. “If we have the opportunity to replace the infrastructure underneath the road and then build the street on top of it to last 50–60 years, that is being smart with the taxpayer’s money.”

The city is coordinating with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency to get the program going, and they hope to see it in motion sometime in 2025.

Owner of the Hearth Restaurant Hugh Higgins said he is excited, and this has been a long time coming for the city.

“It’s reassuring, it’s nice to know because occasionally we have a little hiccup in their quality water issues, it happens on occasion. They are always very vocal, they always speak out to us, they always let us know,” he said.