Litchfield Advances $23 Million Wastewater Treatment Improvements with $2.44 Million Engineering Contract

Litchfield City Council Meeting | April 16, 2026

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council approved a $2.44 million architectural and engineering design contract as a major step toward a comprehensive $23 million overhaul of the city’s aging wastewater treatment facility.

Wastewater Improvements Key Points:

• Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. was awarded a professional services agreement not to exceed $2,440,000 for facility design.

• The engineering work is necessary to complete Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) State Revolving Fund loan applications.

• The council also approved a $14,785.71 quote from AKSA Power to repair the facility’s generator cooling system.

The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, April 16, 2026, unanimously approved a $2,440,000 professional services agreement with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. (CMT) to provide architectural and engineering design for massive improvements to the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The contract is a critical preliminary step in a planned $23 million overhaul of the facility, which city officials noted is at the end of its useful life. The design and construction documents generated by CMT are required for the city to complete its application for an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) low-interest loan. According to the agenda packet, if the city receives the IEPA loan, the design and engineering costs would retroactively be included in the loan amount.

“It’s been our plan, our sewer treatment plant is at the end of its useful life,” Mayor Jacob Fleming stated. “We want to get ahead of this… we have to spend money now so we don’t have emergency expenditures that cost three to four times as much.”

Alderman Dwayne Gerl echoed the sentiment, noting that underground infrastructure is vital. “It’s not always the sexy outward projects that people see, but those are the things that… when water goes or doesn’t smell good, doesn’t taste good, that’s the stuff that everybody really notices.”

In a related infrastructure move, the council also approved a $14,785.71 quote from AKSA Power to rehabilitate the wastewater treatment facility’s generator cooling system. According to the agenda packet, the generator experienced an internal oil leak during a power outage in April 2025. While repairs were made, emulsified oil fouled the coolant, causing the unit’s block heaters to fail.