SYCAMORE – Clean water does not come cheap or easy.

With equipment more than 35 years old, Sycamore will embark on a roughly $10 million upgrade to its wastewater treatment plant on North Cross Street to ensure the cleanliness of the Kishwaukee River and help keep disease at bay.

Public Works Director Fred Busse said sewage has always been a threat to spread disease, which is why it is important to stay updated with the most effective technology. The city plans to do just that with the addition of equipment such as sequencing batch reactors and ultraviolet light for water disinfection.