CIVIL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FOR MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC PROJECTS 

Trotter and Associates, Inc., along with Manusos General Contracting, Inc., recently completed the Well 7 Radium Improvements Project for the City of Sycamore. This project was guided by the City’s 2019 Water Master Plan, also developed by Trotter, and focused on upgrading radium removal from the municipal water supply.  Upgrades included the construction of a new treatment facility equipped with a hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) filtration system. The facility features dedicated rooms for HMO chemical mixing and feed systems, chlorine dosing, and electrical controls. The system was brought online earlier this spring and is now fully operational, significantly improving the City’s water treatment capabilities to continue to provide safe, high-quality drinking water.

Phase I Improvements at the City of Woodstock’s South Wastewater Treatment Plant are progressing on schedule, with the chemical phosphorus removal system expected to come online this fall, marking the first significant milestone of the project. The strong performance of Manusos General Contracting and their team of subcontractors has been key to staying on track. Manusos has led structural concrete work and continues to manage overall construction efforts. RV Builders completed the construction of the ground face masonry block building shell, while Dahme Mechanical Industries installed under-slab plumbing and process piping. Associated Electrical Contractors has completed under-slab electrical work, and Jim Burke Excavating handled earthwork and installation of underground site utilities, including preparation for the new ring road. Upcoming work will focus on the chemical building systems, rehabilitation of the aerobic digesters, and improvements to the oxidation ditch. The project remains on track for final completion in summer 2026. Trotter and Associates, Inc. is proud to support the City of Woodstock with engineering solutions that advance water quality and infrastructure reliability for the community. 

The City of Crystal Lake has engaged Trotter and Associates, Inc. (TAI) to undertake a significant rehabilitation project at Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) Nos. 2 and 3. This project aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the wastewater treatment processes in alignment with the City’s Wastewater Master Plan and recent Phosphorus Removal Studies. The project scope for WWTP2 will involve replacing four raw sewage pumps and the primary clarifier cross collectors, rehabilitating the secondary clarifier, and converting the tertiary filtration process from sand filters to cloth media disc filters. Similarly, the work on WWTP 3 will include rehabilitating both secondary clarifiers and converting the tertiary filtration process. These upgrades are crucial for improving the overall performance of the wastewater treatment facilities and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. Trotter and Associates, Inc. is currently in the early stages of design, with construction expected to begin in early 2027.

The second phase of improvements to Batavia’s Wastewater Treatment Facility was broken into two sub-phases: Phase 2A Rehabilitation and Phase 2B Expansion. IHC began construction for Phase 2A on September 18 th , 2023, and will continue through 2026. This project includes intensive offsite utility replacement and realignment, bike path realignment, demolition of several large structures within the Facility, replacement of the excess flow facilities, construction of new Headworks including screening, grit removal, and odor control, construction of a new primary clarifier diversion structure, four 68’-diameter primary clarifiers, and a Primary Clarifier Control Building, construction of three new duplex raw sewage pump stations, rehabilitation of the three final clarifiers, construction of a new UV disinfection building, and replacement of the WAS thickening systems.

The Village of Barrington Hills has kicked off its 2025 Road Program, which includes HMA resurfacing along three miles of roadway and patching and striping on five miles of various roadways within the Village. With the initial removal completed, crews have begun placing reflective crack control fabric along the milled roadway. Utilization of this fabric on resurfacing projects reduces reflective cracking from the underlying pavement. It acts as a moisture barrier, all of which assist in extending the service life of the roadway. The final HMA surface placement along Spring Creek Road and Buckley Road, patching of various streets, and striping are expected to be completed in the coming months.

The Village of Algonquin, Trotter and Associates, Inc., and Manusos General Contracting are excited to be moving into the construction phase of the WWTF Biosolids Handling Improvements project. With anticipated long lead times for equipment, the project team is working diligently to process submittals to ensure installation of the two decanter centrifuges can begin in the Spring of 2026 as planned. Upon completion of the project, the Village will have met its goal of upgrading the sludge dewatering operation to maintain processing current demands and allow for future development. 

Concrete repairs are vital for preserving the integrity of existing structures and enhancing their service life. This was the main objective for the Structural Repairs Project at Fox River Water Reclamation District’s North and West facilities. To meet this objective, the Trotter structural team evaluated numerous buildings, tanks, and components at both facilities to develop a comprehensive repair plan. Repairs ranged from minor crack injection to full-depth concrete repairs, masonry repairs, and improvements to aluminum stairs and guardrails. Dahme Mechanical Industries (DMI) and its team of subcontractors, Manusos General Contracting, Bulley & Andrews, Alliance Concrete Sawing and Drilling, and A. Horn Inc., are wrapping up the final stages of the project. The remaining scope of work includes regrouting a Final Clarifier and extensive rehabilitation of a concrete structure that dates to the early 1950s. In addition to the structural components of this project, existing stop plates at the West Facility’s Chlorine Contact Tank were replaced with slide gates, improving operational efficiencies for District Staff. The DMI team effectively and efficiently installed all fourteen gates within a week, allowing District Staff to resume maintenance on their facilities in preparation for the disinfection season.

Trotter and Associates, Inc. is proud to be a Gold Level sponsor of the 2025 City of Batavia Fireworks! Festivities begin at 5 pm with a great lineup of local food vendors (cash only), live music from the Batavia Community Band starting at 8:30 pm, and the Sky Concert Fireworks Show at 9:30 p.m. As a local engineering firm dedicated to supporting municipal infrastructure, TAI is honored to celebrate and invest in the communities we serve. Happy Independence Day! 

As part of TAI’s Boots on the Ground internship program, Patrick Connolly (Iowa State) and Payten Whitfield (Purdue) joined President Scott Trotter on-site at the City of Batavia Wastewater Treatment Facility. From observing major utility upgrades to inspecting 68-foot diameter clarifiers, the visit provided a firsthand look at how engineering plans come to life on a project.

Trotter Interns Kohl Winkle (Dayton) and Ben Hein (UW-Madison) were at the Spring Grove WWTP project site. As part of project data collection, they were trained to take measurements and evaluate key parts of the facility, including the UV disinfection system and trickling filters. After the site visit, Kohl & Ben worked with TAI’s Senior Staff to recreate the basis of design from scratch – Gaining both field experience and understanding the math behind the project.