Sangamon County Water Reclamation District Information

The Sangamon County Water Reclamation District (SCWRD) was organized under the Illinois Sanitary District Act of 1917. It was formed in 1924 and at that time was known as the Springfield Sanitary District. In 1986 the name was changed to the Springfield Metro Sanitary District and the name was subsequently changed to the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District in 2016. Prior to 1929 there were no treatment plants in the area and raw sewage flowed into the various ditches, creeks and rivers in the area. This of course made for some rather unpleasant conditions and placed the drinking water supply at risk. In 1924 a bond referendum was passed to build a collection system and treatment plant. Construction began in June of 1925 and by 1929 the collection system and the Spring Creek plant were operating and treating sewage. As the community has grown, so have the challenges which face the District. The District has met those challenges and continues to grow with the community. In 1973 a second treatment plant, Sugar Creek, was brought on line to serve the needs of the area. Since its original construction the District has made over $185 million dollars in capital improvements. Currently the District serves over 150,000 people in the Springfield metro area and includes the communities of Chatham, Grandview, Jerome, Leland Grove, Rochester, Sherman and Southern View.