Softer water by the end of the month?

All Bob Van Gyseghem expected to do was answer aldermen's questions about a bid for modifying the Dodson Street water pumping station.

But as long as they had the water and wastewater superintendent at the podium Monday night, several asked him what is on many residents minds these days:

When is the new water treatment plant going to open, and when can we stop using water softeners?

This week workers are chlorinating the plant, then will load in the semi-permeable membranes that will do the reverse-osmosis pressurized filtering thing that will remove much of the minerals that make Geneva's water extremely hard, Van Gyseghem said.

The new plant may be up and running by its target date of Jan. 31, or within a week of that, Van Gyseghem said. When he knows an exact date, it will be publicized on the city's Web site, on utility bills and in press releases.

When all is good, hardness should drop from 30 grains per liter to four to seven grains per liter.

Van Gyseghem suggested that people shouldn't throw their softeners away at first, because there will still be "old" water in the pipes the day the new plant comes on line. He suggests then putting the softener on "bypass" mode to see how you like the new water; if you like it softer still, turn the softener back on.

"People are looking forward to that. People are looking forward to not buying salt," said Alderman Charles Brown.

The new plant should also reduce the levels of radium in the water, since it will draw from a shallow aquifer. Presently, Geneva draws from a deep aquifer, and those tend to have more radium.

School family reaches out

Parents at Coultrap Elementary School are organizing a fundraiser to help one of their own.

The Liedberg Family Fundraiser is from 7 to 11 p.m. Jan. 25 at Riverview Banquets on Route 25 in Batavia.

Tickets for the adults-only party are $20. There will be appetizers, a cash bar, a DJ, bingo, a 50-50 raffle and live and silent auctions.

Proceeds will go to Dan and Jennifer Liedberg to help them pay medical bills related to Jennifer's multiple sclerosis.

Jennifer has had MS for seven years. She had to quit working in 2005, and because they could no longer afford their Elburn home, they moved in with Dan's parents to a two-bedroom house on Center Street. (Volunteers enlarged it in 2006.)

The Liedbergs have two children, Justin and Meredith, who attend the school.

To buy tickets, call Gina Miller at (630) 262-9247. They have also set up a Web site, at www.liedbergfamily.org. Plans are in the works to enable people to make donations through the Web site to a medical fund or to a benevolent fund (for non-medical expenses).

Snuffed out

The Geneva Police Department is right on top of obeying the new Illinois Smoke-Free law. Earlier this week the police chief was affixing the required signs to the front of the building announcing the prohibitions against smoking within 15 feet of the lobby door. But what to do about the built-in butt disposal in the heavy stone trash container there? Two words: Duct tape.