Hawthorn Woods water project comes in a roughly half budget

A long-proposed but controversial water system for a Hawthorn Woods subdivision will cost about half as much as expected to build, which will dramatically lower residents' financial burden.

An Addison firm called Pirtano Construction Co. will be paid about $2.6 million to construct the system for the Glennshire neighborhood under the recently approved deal with the Lake County Board.

Previous estimates put the construction job at more than $4 million.

The drop in price will reduce the cost for homeowners. Initially told they'd have to pay about $23,000 per house, they're now each responsible for $11,600, county Public Works Director Peter Kolb said.

"That's fabulous," Kolb said.

Homeowners in Glennshire, which is near Old McHenry Road, have until Oct. 2 to pay the sum in full. If they don't, they'll be billed $85 a month for the next 30 years, Kolb said.

The fee will appear as a surcharge on water bills, he said.

The county board approved the contract with Pirtano on Sept. 8. Construction could begin in October or early November. The job is expected to take one year to complete, Kolb said.

Glennshire residents have sued the county over the project, saying the government should fund the entire project, which at one time carried a $6 million estimate. That figure has dropped to $3.6 million, and the county is contributing $1 million toward the work.

The fight dates back several years to when residents learned 20 shallow wells needed replacement because of a lack of chlorine disinfectant in the system.

In 2006, the state sued the county on behalf of 224 homeowners. The suit sought to force the county to build a new EPA-compliant water system. A class-action lawsuit filed by Glennshire residents followed in 2008.

On Sept. 9, Judge Christopher Starck dismissed two of the four counts in the residents' case. Starck also transferred the complaint to Associate Judge Mitchell Hoffman in chancery court.

A new court date has not been set.

Christopher Donovan, leader of a homeowners group formed over the issue, could not be reached for comment Thursday.