The Homer Glen Village Board approved an extension to its sewer line that can benefit development near 159th Street and Cedar Road, a major commercial corridor.
The board Wednesday authorized spending nearly $2.6 million to Austin Tyler Construction to extend its existing Fiddyment Creek sanitary sewer trunk line to unserved vacant land that could be a catalyst for development, village officials said.
“This is to control our own destiny,” Trustee Rose Reynders said.
Austin Tyler Construction submitted the low bid of $2.59 million bid. Other bids to perform the work were as high as nearly $6.78 million.
Village engineer Brett Westcott said Austin Tyler’s bid aligned with village estimates.
The area is not served by sewer, Village Manager Joe Baber said. The sewer line would be owned by the village and not Illinois American Water, a utility company that serves a portion of Homer Glen residents, he said.
It will also assist in providing new users for the planned wastewater treatment plant, which is under review by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and is scheduled to be completed by 2030.
Homer Glen’s wastewater is now treated by several sources, including private septic systems, Illinois American Water or connections with the city of Lockport.
Homer Glen’s agreement with Lockport expires in 2030 and will not be renewed, prompting the village to plan its own treatment facility.
The sewer extension and the wastewater treatment plant are part of the village’s policy to become more independent and less reliant on outside utility companies and sister jurisdictions, village attorney Mike Pasquinelli said.
Investing in infrastructure helps attract residential and commercial development, he said.
“That commercial gives you the tax base that provides the services for new residents and those who have been here for years,” Pasquinelli said.
The project will be partially funded by a $500,000 American Recover and Reinvestment Act grant.
The village bought nearly 30 acres of property in 2025 at the northeast corner of 159th Street and Gougar Road for the wastewater treatment plant. The village submitted its facilities plan to the IEPA as part of the process to secure low interest funding through the state.
The wastewater treatment plant will be built in phases and when fully built out, it will serve about 3,000 acres and treat up to 3 million gallons of wastewater per day, according to the village.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
