Savannah Army Depot: A new RCAP Challenge

At the end of 2023, the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (GLCAP) received a referral to start work with the Savannah Army Depot that had been significantly reduced in size. The site was located just outside Savannah, Illinois, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River in Jo Davies and Carroll County. At one time, the Army Depot was over 13,000 acres and was used for artillery weapons and ammunition testing before its decommissioning by the United States Army in 2000. Currently, there are 30 water and wastewater connections at the Army Depot.  

GLCAP Operator Anthony Brown was able to connect with Army Depot personnel to schedule a site visit. Brown began the visit by collecting technical, managerial and financial information from the Depot’s wastewater operator in order to complete an assessment of the facility. During this visit, Brown also shared a flash drive with wastewater resources, which were provided by the RCAP national office through an EPA grant.  

Later in the year, Brown returned to the Army Depot to complete a condition assessment of the wastewater system. He walked through the system with the operator and began identifying major issues that needed to be addressed. Through the assessment, it was determined that two major challenges were the presence of I & I (inflow & infiltration) in the system and a loss of sanitary water to the underground environment. He was able to investigate these issues and begin to build a work plan on remediation.  

Brown also determined that the wastewater collection system needed to be cleaned and televised and recommended inserting CIP (cast in place) lining as a more cost-effective way to address defects in the system. He is now working with the Army Depot to develop cost identify potential contractors to complete the project. Moving forward, Brown is also assisting the Depot with identifying funding options for these proposed improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.  

The Savannah Army Depot project is unique. As a decommissioned site, it presents several challenges, including working with Army Corps of Engineers requirements as well as the shift in population. GLCAP is going to continue to assist the Army Depot and offer any assistance they may need.   

This article was funded under RCAP’s  EPA Treatment Works 1 Grant.