Well water customers in Lake County near Buffalo Grove getting Lake Michigan water

Residents in three Lake County neighborhoods on the Buffalo Grove border will soon receive Lake Michigan water through their taps following the completion of a $2.7 million infrastructure project, Lake County officials announced Tuesday.

Under a 20-year agreement, Buffalo Grove will sell the water, sourced through the Northwest Water Commission, to Lake County. Village Manager Dane Bragg said after receiving the money from Lake County, the village will pay the commission before netting an estimated annual $400,000 from the sale, to be applied to capital improvements.

The project connects the Pekara Water System to Lake Michigan water. The beneficiaries will be the Pekara, Inverrary and Horatio Gardens areas. The boundary is south of Deerfield Parkway, west of Milwaukee Avenue, north of Inverrary Lane and east of Weiland Road. More than 3,700 customers, including households and businesses, will be served.

The project was funded by $1.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, with Lake County Public Works covering the remaining costs. Customers will not be charged connection fees or special service area taxes, County Board Member Paul Frank said.

The village had expected the area would eventually tap into Lake Michigan water and infrastructure has been in place since the 1980s to make that transition.

During a celebration of the project’s completion held at Lake County Public Works Tuesday, County Board Member Marah Altenberg, who represents the area, said the project was top of mind for residents.

“Every door I went to this last election, this was the number one thing people talked about,” she said.

While the current well water meets state and federal mandates, Lake Michigan water causes less wear and tear on fixtures, requiring less water softening and has less chemicals, Marc Bourgault, Lake County assistant public works director, said.

While construction is complete, residents must wait for paperwork to be finalized before the switch occurs.