Metro East Sun

Collinsville Public Works director Dennis Kress requested City Council to approve an ordinance to pay for chemicals used in the city's wastewater treatment plant.

For approximately the 10th year in a row the City had only one bidder on most of the chemicals. Prices are higher this year than they have been in the past. 

Kress went through the bids for each of the chemicals used in the process. Overall, the price across the board for chemicals expenses has increased an average of 18.5%. The price for the chemicals for the city water treatment has increased 19.9%, or $420,000 for the year of 2023. The wastewater treatment in the city has increased 16.9% or $458,000.

"I don't have a good explanation about the cost of the chemicals going up," Kress said in the meeting. "I imagine energy has a big, big part of that, but I don't know what else we can do. We have to have these chemicals."

The board discussed the increases, not completely sure of the reasons why they have gone up across the board other than rising inflation and costs of energy. They advised citizens that these and other factors were the reasons behind the 5% increase in their water bills. They planned to send out brochures explaining the factors to residents in the next bill cycle.