Construction of the new water treatment plant in Lincoln, Illinois, is scheduled to be completed in early 2023. Final plant commissioning by Illinois Water Works Lincoln is now in progress. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing concrete admixture, was used to provide durability to key concrete components constantly exposed to water – and extend the service life of the plant.
Located in the middle of Illinois on the famed Route 66, Lincoln was first settled in the 1830s, where Abraham Lincoln practiced law before becoming President. Today, Lincoln has a population of almost 14,000 inhabitants and is home to three colleges – Lincoln Christian University, Lincoln College, and Heartland Community College – and two prisons.
The town’s original wastewater treatment plant was built in the 1930s and was continually expanded and updated over the years. Designed as a combined sewer/sanitary and storm water system, the sporadic 10-33 million gal/day (MGD) spikes during rainstorms would overwhelm the system. More recently, the EPA mandated that Lincoln present a plan – with substantial improvements and capacity expansion – to comply with Federal standards on limiting combined sewer overflows (CSO) during wet weather.
Illinois American Water presented a $37 million project to comprehensively upgrade the Lincoln water system. The construction work included a new 1-million-gallon water tower (completed in 2021), the replacement of over 2,200 feet (670 m) of aging water mains, and a new water treatment plant.
“For the water treatment plant, Roanoke Concrete, the project’s ready-mix concrete supplier, was asked to provide a durable and waterproof concrete mix to ensure the general contractor, Vissering Construction, would pass the final leak tests for all new concrete structures,” explains Patrick O’Brien, Regional Manager for Penetron USA. “Roanoke specified PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture. The leak tests were passed, and no repairs were necessary.”
PENETRON ADMIX SB-treated concrete was used for all liquid containing structures of the new water treatment plant. Delivered in pre-measured soluble bags, PENETRON ADMIX SB is added to the concrete mix during the batching phase to reduce concrete permeability, increase chemical resistance, and enable the self-sealing of any new or future hairline cracks – and enhance the durability of the treated concrete components.
The new water treatment plant in Lincoln, IL, now delivers increased capacity of up to five million gallons a day (MGD), an increase of 1.4 MGD over the previous plant. The completed plant features a new pump station, an enhanced treatment process including gravity sand filter beds, flocculation, and a new security system to help maintain operation during emergencies.
"This new plant will help Lincoln meet the EPA guidelines and also eliminate emergency-related boil water orders and conservation measures, which have been the source of much inconvenience to the community in recent years,” adds Christopher Chen, Director of the Penetron Group.
Waterproofed with PENETRON ADMIX SB: The new water treatment plant in Lincoln, IL delivers increased treatment capacity of up to five million MGD to comply with Federal CSO standards.
