Construction is underway for a $12.5 million project that will significantly reduce the possibility of basement backups in hundreds of Mount Pleasant and Racine homes.
The new underground storage basin near Chicory Road will hold up to 1.7 million gallons, keeping water safely out of basements, or Lake Michigan, during storms that send rain running into the region’s sewers. This is the most recent partnership between the Mount Pleasant Sewer Utility and Racine Wastewater Utility to prepare the region’s shared sewer system to handle heavy rainfall.
“This cooperative effort with our neighbors in Racine protects hundreds of homes on both sides of the municipal border,” said Dan Taivalkoski, chairman of the Mount Pleasant Utility Commission. “The storage basin will keep water out of basements, which is one of the most important tasks a utility can accomplish.”
The underground storage tank will be south of Chicory Road at Knoll Place. It will be complete and in operation in fall 2025.
The project follows last year’s completion of a larger sewer pipe along Chicory Road. Combined, the storage tank and larger diameter sewer pipe will serve properties within a 1,200-acre area. Historically, heavy rainfall could cause basement backups in nearby neighborhoods to the north and west.
Rainwater seeps into the sewer system through cracks in pipes, and through connected downspouts or sump pumps in older homes. Heavy rainfall can create bottlenecks in the sewer system that force overflows into basements, and can overload the region’s treatment plant, forcing a release of partially treated, disinfected water into Lake Michigan.
The bigger sewer pipe and storage basin will significantly reduce the likelihood of either happening in the surrounding area. The Mount Pleasant Sewer Utility is paying for 73% of the project cost, with the City of Racine financing the remainder.
The two utilities have previously partnered to fend off backups. Previous projects include a large holding tank at Brose Park, and upsizing a sewer running underneath Kinzie Avenue. Both projects benefited residents in the Village of Mount Pleasant and City of Racine.
Miron Construction is the lead contractor on the Chicory Road storage tank project. The project includes excavating about 18,000 cubic yards of dirt from a half-acre area for the concrete storage tank. The tank will not be visible once complete because contractors will cover it with dirt and replant the area.