Water

The quality of Highland’s drinking water is unmatched.  The city operates its own water treatment plant and distribution mains.  The source of the water comes from Highland’s own Silver Lake, a reservoir constructed in 1960 with its primary use to be a source of drinking water.

The water treatment plant currently has a capacity of 4.2 MGD and was upgraded in 1993 to treat an average of 1.2 MGD, with an average peak of 2.2 MGD.  The storage capacity consists of a 1 million gallon ground storage tank, a 200,000 gallon elevated storage tank, a 1.5 million gallon standpipe and 100,000 gallons of clear well storage. 

To ensure the quality of the drinking water, there is a mandatory treatment for all surface water supplies in Illinois that includes coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.  

For more information contact:

Public Works Department

Mike Buss
618.654.9321
mbuss@highlandil.gov

Water Reclamation

The Water Reclamation Facility has four full-time employees to process wastewater for Highland residents.  The plant treats sewage from 42 miles of sewer main.  The current flow is 1.04 MGD, which allows an excess capacity of 560,000 GPD.  The process uses an oxidation ditch and an aerobic digester to treat an average of 1.1 MGD with a total design capacity of 1.6 MGD. Highland offers a USEPA approved pre-treatment program.

For more information contact:

Public Works Department

Bill Zimmer
618.654.8122
bzimmer@highlandil.gov