Switch to Lake Michigan water nears in Lindenhurst

Lindenhurst residents and property owners soon can retire their water softeners as Lake Michigan water is expected to begin flowing to houses and businesses next week.

The system has been flushed, pumps tested, samples checked and approved, and computers synced. An intake valve will be opened Tuesday, and Lake Michigan water slowly will blend into the existing shallow well supply.

When the changeover is complete four or five days later, those on the other end of the 4,975 taps in town will notice water that is much softer and with greatly reduced or eliminated discoloration.

The project was completed about five weeks ahead of schedule. Village officials opted to wait until after Thanksgiving to begin the switch to minimize the risk of disruptions during the holiday weekend.

While the quality is expected to be improved, it was concerns over the source and amount of water available to the community that led to a decade of discussion, planning and construction.

"We'll have not only better quality but better quantity for future generations," Mayor Dominic Marturano said.

At $16 million, the cost to bring Lake Michigan water and associated work is the largest public works project undertaken in the village. Water and sewer rates were restructured to help pay the debt of about $1 million per year.

"Everybody pays for exactly what they use, which is the fairest situation we can be in," Marturano said. "The folks who use a lot of water saw their bills double or triple."

Marturano, who joined the village board as a trustee 10 years ago, has been involved in the project with the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency since the beginning. The water agency treats and distributes Lake Michigan water to about 200,000 customers in towns including Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Mundelein, Grayslake, Round Lake, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Beach and Gurnee.

Lindenhurst is the second system to be switched in what is known as the North Group. Grandwood Park went online in July, and unincorporated Fox Lake Hills and the village of Lake Villa are next.

Lake Michigan water is projected to be delivered to Volo and Wauconda, known as the West Group, in July 2019.

The status of the village's well sources was a concern for Lindenhurst officials.

"The biggest reason for us to make the change is our aquifer is starting to dry up," said Charles Hernandez, the village's utility services manager.

As a result, decades-old pumps have to work harder and begin to fail, he said. Two of the village's nine shallow wells have been shut down in recent years. Four of the remaining seven will be kept as emergency backups, Hernandez said.

The hub of this shift is a nondescript receiving facility and pumping station named after former Mayor Susan A. Lahr in the shadow of a 1 million-gallon concrete reservoir feeding the village's two water towers.

Lahr and the former public works superintendent, engineer and village administrator all have retired or moved on since the project was envisioned. Bottles of the new water will be sent to them, Hernandez said.

"This project is finally coming to an end, and we're excited," he said.

Besides the reservoir and pumping facility, the village replaced 3½ miles of water mains.

Officials also have solicited proposals for a comprehensive rate study, according to Village Administrator Clay Johnson.

"We want to make sure the rates being charged adequately addresses the debt," as well as system maintenance and associated costs, he said.