Carpentersville officials work to find fix for exposed water, sewer lines following dam removal

Burying water and sewer lines exposed following a dam removal project could cost Carpentersville more than $3 million.

Two water and two sewer lines were installed roughly 60 years ago at the bottom of the Fox River north of the Carpentersville dam. However, all four lines became exposed this spring after water levels along the Fox River decreased dramatically.

The depth of the river dropped, in part, because of a project that removed the Carpentersville dam. Other factors include drought conditions and the temporary closure of the Stratton Lock and Dam in McHenry for the boating season.

“A year ago, it would have been underwater in the river,” Carpentersville Village Manager Brad Stewart said. “But now, where the exposure was identified is the new shoreline.”

The dam, which officials believe was built between 1839 and 1850, was removed last fall as part of a $1.2 million project by the Kane County Forest Preserve District.

The project's goal was to create a 10.2-mile stretch of unimpeded flow along the river and improve the health of the Fox River.

Forest preserve officials anticipated the river level to drop following the dam removal. But Carpentersville officials said no one expected the water and sewer lines, which run under the river, to become exposed.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Carpentersville Village President John Skillman said, adding the village did not control the dam removal project.

Once the exposed lines were discovered in April, public works crews covered them with gravel. Stewart said water and sewer service has not been interrupted, and none of the exposed lines are leaking.

Village officials have contacted state agencies, including the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the Kane County Forest Preserve District and state representatives, to find a solution.

Stewart said engineering work already has started to develop plans to merge the two water lines into one and the two sewer lines into one — and then bury the two new lines.

State Rep. Suzanne Ness has secured state funding to help cover the costs.

“The removal of the dam brings environmental benefits, including improved water flow, healthier ecosystems, and enhanced recreational opportunities,” Ness said in an emailed statement. “However, the removal also comes with some unexpected challenges. The $400,000 in funding that I have secured for the village of Carpentersville will address some of the issues.”

Kane County Forest Preserve District officials could not be reached for comment about the exposed lines.

When the dam was first removed, however, district officials said the river’s edge could change as the river returned to a more natural flow.

As part of the dam removal project, for example, the district extended out a kayak launch north of the dam as the river narrowed, said Jennifer Rooks-Lopez, the district’s director of planning and land protection.

In a spring interview, Rooks-Lopez noted the river’s water levels were lower than anticipated due to drought conditions and the closure of the Stratton Lock and Dam.

“It’s really been an unusual spring for us,” she said.

The low levels have led to criticism on social media of the dam removal project.

However, Rooks-Lopez said other factors — including a drier-than-normal winter and the lack of rain in the spring — have played a large role in the river’s current condition.

As for the exposed lines, Stewart said he anticipates work to rectify the situation to start in the fall, but warned it may not be complete until next year.

Skillman noted the village’s predicament has caught the attention of other Fox River communities where dam removal is being considered.

“Every town is now looking at this and … saying ‘could that happen here?’” he said.