St. James Farm may get municipal water from Wheaton, open buildings to public

A roughly $2.9 million plan to bring municipal water to St. James Farm Forest Preserve could make it possible for historic buildings at the site near Warrenville to be opened to the public.

DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners during a Tuesday planning session are scheduled to review a proposed intergovernmental agreement between the district and the city of Wheaton. If approved, the deal would allow St. James Farm to get municipal water service from Wheaton.

To get the water, the district would have to spend $2.9 million to design and build a water main that would connect Wheaton's existing distribution system to St. James Farm. The money also would pay for tap-on fees and permitting costs.

The forest preserve district bought St. James Farm from philanthropist and conservationist Brooks McCormick in 2000 for $43 million. The district took possession of the more than 600-acre property along Winfield Road after McCormick's death in 2006.

While the property is open to forest preserve users, residents aren't yet able to spend time inside the site's historic buildings, including stables and an indoor horse riding arena.

One reason the buildings have been closed to the public is because St. James Farm has obtained its water from underground wells, officials said.

"The district wants to improve the reliability and quality of the domestic water supply for human consumption, animal consumption, and fire suppression at St. James by using municipal water," officials wrote in a memorandum in the packet for Tuesday's meeting.

Constructing the new water main and getting water from Wheaton would allow for life-safety improvements to be made to buildings at St. James Farm. Then those buildings could be opened to the public and used for a variety programs, officials said.

District officials said the proposed deal with Wheaton is "the most efficient and economical" way to get municipal water to St. James Farm.

The plan calls for the water main to generally follow Hoy Avenue, from the intersection of Wiesbrook and Butterfield roads near Wheaton Warrenville South High School.

Tuesday's planning session meeting for the forest preserve commission is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday at the district headquarters, 3S580 Naperville Road, Wheaton.