By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

A project in Fairbury required by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency that is going to cost the city approximately $220 million, is changing the structure and billing for water and sewer.

Fairbury City Superintendent Leroy McPherson, explains the changes.

“The FEPA has come in and stated we need to treat all the waste that comes in to the sewer plant, which means we can’t bypass any water to the creek anymore. In order to do that, we’d have to update the sewer plant and collect all the overflows that go to the creek, which is 11 right now, and bring that all to the sewer plant and have that treated,” McPherson said.

The increases Fairbury residents are seeing in their bills are happening to replay the long-term EPA loan, which is paying for this project.

For more information, call Fairbury City Hall at 815-692-2743.