Work in Progress



The Water Plant upgrade project has begun. The City is making significant improvements to increase the drinking water output from 21 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD using newer treatment technology in the same water plant footprint. The City will ensure a continuous supply of safe drinking water to the residents of Highland Park; as well as, the neighboring communities served by this Plant.

For the upgrade project, The City has been working with the consulting engineering firm CDM Smith, Inc. The City chose Siemens Water Technologies Corp. to provide a Memcor submerged membrane filtration system as the new technology for the Water Plant Upgrade. The Water Treatment Plant Improvement Project Contract was awarded to general contractor, Joseph J. Henderson & Son, Inc. 

• During Plant Upgrade construction, entrance to Water Treatment Plant premises including boat launching area and scenic parking lot, east of the Plant, will be closed to both motorized public and pedestrian traffic. We appreciate your cooperation in making “SAFETY” a priority for residents, employees and construction workers.
• The Plant construction hours will be between 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday and on Saturdays and Sundays, as required. Heavy truck traffic is expected to be encountered during the construction hours and off-construction hours. The trucks will be traveling on local residential streets namely Park Ave, Egandale Rd, and Vine Ave for access to the Plant. The City will make every attempt to minimize the inconvenience to the neighborhoods in the vicinity of the Plant. 

• The groundbreaking celebration held at the Water Plant on February 15th was attended by our Mayor and Council members Higginson, Blumberg, Frank and Kaufman. They were joined by former Mayors Pierce and Geraci, elected officials and staff from Deerfield, Highland Park Park District, School District 112, Highland Park Library Board, contractors, design engineers, residents and City staff to commemorate the culmination of 15 years of discussion and planning and the beginning of a two-year effort to upgrade the George B. Prindle Water Treatment Plant.

• At a public ‘kickoff’ meeting at the Police Station, February 8th, Public Works Director, Ramesh Kanapareddy, introduced the ‘team’ that will perform the Water plant upgrade work. These include:
  • JJ Henderson & Son – General Contractor
  • Siemens Water Technology - Membrane Filtration System
  • CDM Smith - Design Engineers
  • Cummins Npower - Generators
  • Commonwealth Edison – Power Supply Upgrade
• On hand to meet the team were Councilman Blumberg, Deputy City Manager Ghida Neukirch, Village Managers and staff of the City’s wholesale water system partners: Deerfield, Lincolnshire and Bannockburn; as well as, representatives of the North Shore Sanitary District and the Park District of Highland Park.

• On January 14, 2013 the pilot program arrived at the Water Treatment Plant. The Illinois EPA requires two months of testing of the membrane filters. Pilots are small scale preliminary studies to evaluate the new filters prior to construction.
• The consideration of adoption of the Upgrade Project was presented to City Council during the December 10, 2012 City Council Meeting. City Council considered and approved the five following items relating to the Water Plant upgrade program:
  • A Resolution Authorizing the Award of the Water Treatment Plant Improvement Project Contract to Joseph J. Henderson & Son, Inc, Gurnee, Illinois, in the Amount of $ 21,665,000.
  • Adoption of the Following Items Related to the Contract for a Submerged Membrane Filtration System with Siemens Water Technologies Corp.:
    • A Resolution Authorizing Change Order No. 3 to the Contract for a Submerged Membrane Filtration System with Siemens Water Technologies Corp., Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
    • An Ordinance Amending the City of Highland Park Annual Budget for the Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2012 and Ending December 31, 2012 to Reflect $300,000 in Additional Expenses
  • A Resolution Authorizing Change Order No. 2 to the Contract/Proposal for the Supply of Engine Generator Units with Cummins NPower, LLC, Hodgkins, Illinois
  • A Resolution Authorizing Amendments No. 4 and No. 5 to the Design Consulting Agreement with CDM Smith, Inc., Chicago, Illinois
  • A Resolution Authorizing an Agreement with Commonwealth Edison Corporation for the Provision of an Automatic Throw Over (ATO) Switch in the Amount of $99,661.10
•  Construction bids opened on November 16, 2012 and was awarded to Joseph J. Henderson & Son, Inc.