The Village Board has approved a project to rehabilitate the Tamarack Standpipe, a component of the community’s drinking water system.
Trustees on March 2 voted to award the Tamarack Standpipe Repainting and Maintenance Project to Era Valdivia Contractors Inc. of Chicago for $1,248,800, with construction expected to begin later this year. The board also approved a construction engineering services agreement with Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers, not to exceed $155,318.
Village officials said the work will address several structural and maintenance issues identified during a 2023 inspection of the community’s water towers conducted by Dixon Engineering.
According to the Department of Public Works, the Village previously completed repainting projects at the Blackhawk and Autumn Ridge water towers in 2024 and 2025. However, the Tamarack Standpipe requires additional work.
The project includes stripping and repainting the tank’s interior and exterior, making structural steel repairs, replacing the tank's cathodic protection system, and installing a mixer to improve water circulation and reduce stagnation.
Village staff said the work is intended to help ensure the water system continues to meet both routine demand and emergency needs.
Funding is supported by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Water Supply Loan Program, which offers lower interest rates than traditional financing options. Park Forest received a $1.57 million loan for the standpipe project, including about $471,000 in loan forgiveness. A separate $5.1 million loan was secured for water main improvements, with more than $1.5 million in forgiveness. Officials said these funding opportunities were expanded in part through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Baxter & Woodman, which served as the project’s design engineer and assisted the village in securing the IEPA funding, will provide construction engineering services for the project. Responsibilities will include project administration, welding observation, coating inspections, and other construction oversight.
Village officials said the improvements align with the board’s strategic goal of maintaining infrastructure while continuing to provide water service to residents.