HMG Engineers, Inc., a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm headquartered in Breese, Illinois, is proud to announce that its Waterloo Water Supply, Treatment & Transmission Facilities project has been awarded the Special Achievement Award at the 2026 ACEC Illinois Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA).

The Waterloo project — completed in 2024 — represents a comprehensive upgrade of the City of Waterloo, Illinois water system. The work included designing and constructing three alluvial groundwater wells, a 3.5 MGD pellet-softening treatment plant (the first of its kind in Illinois), more than eight miles of HDPE transmission main, and a new 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank, replacing an aging lattice-legged tank. The overall project cost was approximately $31.2 million.

HMG provided full-service support: project planning, design engineering, construction engineering, and assistance with funding acquisition.

With growing concerns over rising water costs through its prior investor-owned water utility, the City of Waterloo accepted HMG’s recommendation to shift to a groundwater-based supply — a long-term, sustainable solution designed to meet future needs while ensuring safe, reliable drinking water for residents.

The project stood out to the ACEC Illinois judges for its innovative engineering — notably the pellet-softening plant that produces a benign, sand-like residual suitable for reuse as backfill — an approach that balances cost effectiveness, environmental responsibility, and community benefit.

“This award reflects the ingenuity, dedication, and collaborative effort of our entire HMG team,” said John Wieter, P.E., Senior Vice President & Principal, Water Sector at HMG. “More importantly, it honors the City of Waterloo’s vision for long-term water independence and our shared commitment to public health and sustainable infrastructure.”

About HMG Engineers

Founded in 1966 by Dale Henry, Harold Meisenheimer, and Bob Gende, HMG Engineers has proudly served communities throughout Illinois for nearly six decades. Our expertise spans:

  • Transportation – Roadways, bridges, and structures

  • Water – Water supply and wastewater systems

  • Civil – Municipal engineering, site development, surveying, and geomatics

In addition to our headquarters in Breese, we operate offices in Kenosha, Wisconsin, St. Louis, Missouri, Carbondale, Mundelein, Bloomington, Waterloo, and Metropolis, Illinois.