Sanitary District of Decatur, IL

This photo shows SDD’s major expansion completed in 1993 after seven years of construction. The $23 million upgrade added 30 clarifier tanks across 90 acres, expanding capacity, improving efficiency, and supporting Decatur’s growth. It was a major step in modernizing the system to meet future needs.

Some of the smallest creatures in the Sangamon River can tell us a lot about water quality! Macroinvertebrates, like mayflies and caddisflies, live in the water year-round and respond quickly to changes in their environment. Because they can’t easily move away, they’re a great way to understand how a river is doing over time.

That’s why monitoring and protecting water quality matters. At the Sanitary District of Decatur, our work helps support cleaner water and healthier habitats for these species, and for our community that depends on them.

This month, we’re highlighting our Instrumentation & Controls team and the important work they do behind the scenes every day. They help monitor and maintain the systems that keep our treatment processes running safely and efficiently, making sure equipment is working properly and data is accurate. Their work plays a key role in supporting reliable service and meeting environmental standards for our community.

As technology and regulations continue to evolve, this team stays focused on training and continuous improvement to help SDD move forward.