Engineers address water treatment issues in central McLean
Ongoing issues at the Riverdale Water Treatment Facility have prompted continued water use restrictions across central McLean County, as engineers work to identify the cause of treatment challenges.
According to an update shared by the Underwood City Commission on social media, as of June 4, the city of Underwood had not received a formal update directly from Riverdale officials. However, information was provided by engineers actively working on the issue.
In a statement from AJ Tuck of Moore Engineering, shared by the Underwood Commission with permission from Jerry Orth of the Riverdale Water Treatment Facility, officials said crews are working to determine why particulates are not settling properly within the treatment basins.
Engineers from Moore Engineering and AE2S, along with chemical specialists from Hawkins, are assisting plant operators in diagnosing the problem. While filtration is still removing the particulates, officials said the material is clogging the system’s membranes faster than expected.
This increased buildup is reducing the life of the membranes and creating both operational and financial concerns for the facility, according to the statement.