Fairbury Hires Miller And Associates For Water Sourcing Committee
At a meeting on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, the Fairbury City Council voted to hired Miller and Associates Consulting Engineers, P.C. to provide engineering services in the city’s search for a lower-nitrate source of drinking water.
Fairbury Mayor Spencer Brown and the city council created a Water Sourcing Committee to address the problem of high nitrates.
Brian Schmidt, both city councilperson and a member of the committee, said, “The water sourcing committee looked at a couple of different proposals from a couple of different engineering firms. We believe Miller and Associates will provide the best long term solution for us.”
Schmidt added, “Water is the only thing they do. I mean, they are water experts.”
The city has four wells. Three of those are in the east Wellfield and have consistently tested in the higher range for nitrates.
A fourth well at Crystal Springs has been offline since 2021 due to biofilm causing issues with the wells. At a meeting of the Fairbury City Council last year, Project Manager Mary Renn explained the water in that area is safe to drink, but can’t be pumped due to biofilm in the pumps. Addressing the biofilm issue is one possible solution being considered.
