Lake Michigan water may be on Aurora's horizon

Aurora may learn within the next two months whether it will be granted access to Lake Michigan drinking water.

The DuPage Water Commission has nearly completed a study to determine the physical and financial feasibility of extending its pipeline to Aurora as the city attempts to find a water source in addition to its aquifers and the Fox River.

Aurora Water Superintendent Bill Munch said the city, which has claimed the title of having the state's best-tasting water for three consecutive years, draws half its supply from the Fox River and the rest from 30-foot aquifers.

Munch said the city has asked about receiving between 5 million and 15 million gallons of water a day from the commission as a "long-term strategic approach" to lessen the impact on the aquifers.

"We have no concerns at all about the short-term quality or quantity of our water and we believe we will continue to serve it to our residents for the foreseeable future," he said Wednesday.

Allan Poole, a municipal representative to the commission and director of public utilities for Naperville, said there are a "tremendous number of issues" in regard to supplying water to Aurora, including the fact the commission has never allowed partial service for a customer and concerns about the system's ability to handle additional users.

Commission member Liz Chaplin, however, believes the panel has the capacity to serve Aurora and would be a "good neighbor" in doing so.

"If the study comes back and shows we can provide water to them, I hope we do it," she said. "I just hope Aurora wouldn't find (the quarter-cent sales tax and connection costs) to be cost prohibitive."

- Jake Griffin contributed to this story