In 2015, shortly after Freeport Mayor Jodi Miller’s election to her first office as a Freeport City Council
member, forever chemicals were discovered near the city’s water wells on the north side of town. Then
Alderman Miller knew it was time for the city to begin the search for new water sources for Freeport.
 

In 2022, the Miller administration officially completed the drilling of a new deep water well and
construction of a new water treatment facility on Burchard Avenue. But Mayor Miller says the city isn’t
completely done in its efforts to produce high quality, clean, and safe drinking water for the residents of
Freeport.

“Well #11 was a great start for us in our clean water initiative,” says Mayor Miller. “Over the next
several years, we will turn our attention to the drilling of Well #12 on Fairgrounds Road. This second
deep water, like our first one--will produce clean raw water that’s easier to treat. Once online, Well #12
will allow us to completely close down and remediate our 140-year-old Brick Street facility.”
Though the design and engineering for Well #12 are still in the works, Mayor Miller believes it will be a
lot like Well #11. Well #11 taps into aquifers located 1,200 feet below the surface. A submersible pump
delivers 2,000 gallons of raw water per minute into the newly constructed Burchard Avenue treatment
plant.

The $12 million well and water treatment plant project was funded through forgivable loans and grants
through the Environmental Protection Agency and through funding secured by Freeport’s US
Congressman Eric Sorensen.
“Congressman Sorensen has been instrumental in our goal of improving the quality of water here in
Freeport,” says Mayor Miller. “I look forward to continuing our partnership as we continue to move
Freeport forward.”
 

Mayor Miller says the city will also continue to replace the remaining 500 or so lead water pipe service
lines that remain in operation throughout the city. The city has already replaced 1,300 of these lines so
far and expects to complete the project this year.
 

“The people of Freeport have invested heavily in the improvement of its water system over the past few
years,” says Jodi. “I can’t think of a better investment than clean and safe water for our community.”