Think of all the things you and your friends do on the Illinois River.

Now think about boating, jet-skiing or fishing on the river as the city dumps excess sewage into the water about thirty times a year. It's happening, and the Environmental Protection Agency has told the city it needs to do something about it.

Playing in water can be fun. But when we frolic in a fountain or raise a ruckus in the river, we- for the most part- believe the water is clean.
But during heavy rainfalls, the Peoria treatment plant cannot handle the rush of water...sending raw sewage into the Illinois River. The city is looking at three possible solutions, and these public forums are a way for area residents to weigh in on which one they like.

All three options include installing underground wet weather storage tanks. The only difference between option two and three is how far downstream the city would send the overflow two to six times a year.

Peoria Civil Engineer, Jane Gerdes said, "Option three would have to have a pipe virtually from Detweiller Marina all the way down to the sanitary district."

All three options include green infrastructure, adding chlorine to the sewage and range in cost from 100-million to 260-million dollars. Peoria Councilman

Clyde Gulley says he does not want to raise taxes to help pay for this project. Gulley said, "I would hope not. I would hope that on something like this that's a requirement we're going to have to plan for it, from the budget perspective."

The city must submit a final proposal to the EPA by December 1st. It will then have twenty years to implement the plan.

There is another public forum Thursday night at the Neighborhood House from four to eight in the evening.