4/19/2013 10:51:00 PM
City crew, volunteers sandbag to save Peru wastewater plant



Peru River Rescue squad volunteers load sandbags onto boats at Pine and Water streets to carry the sandbags to the city's wastewater treatment plant. Volunteers and city workers were busy working Friday night to fend off floodwater's.



 

It was nearly 10 p.m. Friday at the wastewater treatment plant and Peru Mayor Scott Harl was huddled with a small group of city workers looking at the screen of a smartphone to determine if the Illinois River had crested.



“I hope it’s right,” Harl said.



He was part of a group of city workers and Peru River Rescue squad volunteers that were working to pile sandbags around the perimeter of the plant to fend off the encroaching floodwaters.



“The city of Peru has about $10 million to $12 million riding on this facility,” Harl said.



While Harl and a small group stacked sandbags just feed away from the plant’s aeration tanks, roughly a dozen River Rescue volunteers were hauling sandbags by boat from the corner of Pine and Water streets.



“We’re just trying to get it done fast,” said volunteer Nick Curtin.



The effort had been underway for about two hours at that point. Harl said it was “wonderful” to know the city could put a call for help and receive so much support.


 





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