Prospect Heights refines water plan

The master plan for bringing Lake Michigan water to Prospect Heights could be available for public viewing by January, city officials say.

The city council recently discussed tweaks to the document, which is more than 30 pages long and will be updated by Crystal Lake engineering firm Baxter & Woodman.

The study is not intended to be a final document, but rather a roadmap for someday building a city water system, which, in a rough estimate, is expected to cost about $62 million in today's dollars, said acting Mayor Pat Ludvigsen.

"It's more to give us guidance. … (It) tells us technically what we can and can't do," Ludvigsen said.

The firm is expected to finish revisions in the coming weeks before the council votes on it.

Then, the study will be available for public view and could be posted online at prospect-heights.il.us.

While the study is perhaps too technical for residents without an engineering background, the executive summary is understandable enough for them to get the basic gist, Ludvigsen said.

City officials said no matter what the city decides to do in the future, residents who wish to remain on well water would not be required to switch over to Lake Michigan water.

Many parts of the city are currently served by well water. Other areas -- such as Special Service Area 6, covering about 150 single-family homes near Wheeling and Camp McDonald roads -- already receive Lake Michigan water.

The master plan has been overseen by the city council's water committee, whose mission is to research the city's sources of water and explore options for obtaining Lake Michigan water in areas not currently served.

One of the overriding issues is the cost of the system, which includes storage and pumping stations, village officials said.