Lake Michigan water too expensive

To the editor: All our utility bills are going up. Chicago and suburbs all around us are raising their Lake Michigan water rates by at least 15 percent. Having our own wells, at least, saves us from one of these escalating expenses.

Certain residents of Lake Claire and Prospect Heights city hall want Lake Michigan water at any expense and they expect us to pay for their wishes. There have been referendums as late as the 2000 election where a majority of Prospect Heights voted against Lake Michigan water.

Regardless, the city and these Lake Claire residents decided to divide and conquer -- taking small areas of Prospect Heights, bringing in Lake Michigan water and silently spreading out.

We have been told, from incomplete studies,

1) To expect a $1,500 to $2,000 increase in our tax bills for 20 years;

2) Initial hookup from the street would be around $5,000;

3) Monthly water costs would be about $100 +/-

Keeping our wells for exterior use is doubtful. Mount Prospect residents initially were allowed to keep their wells operating for exterior use, then they were forced to cap them. Was this a pre-meditated "bait and switch"? Will we be forced to do the same thing?

The people against Lake Michigan water have been accused of not keeping up with progress and that Prospect Heights is the last town in this area to use well water. Many suburbs with wealthier households than ours have well water, Barrington Hills and Long Grove, for example.

These are tough times economically. Most everyone is struggling to make ends meet. The costs of bringing Lake Michigan water into our area are not in our budgets. Let's keep water expenses under our control. If need be, reverse osmosis and iron fil-ters have been known to make well water even better than Lake Michigan water, and it leaves the consumer in control of his water expenses.

Ludmila Dabrowski

Prospect Heights