Mount Prospect moves to cap aging emergency water well

Mount Prospect is retiring one of its aging emergency wells.

On Tuesday, the village board voted to cap Well No. 4 at 117 N. Waverly Place, which officials say is underperforming.

The board will spend up to $149,600 for Wisconsin-based Municipal Well and Pump to perform the work, involving removing the equipment, filling the well with gravel, and installing a cement cap.

The village has five deep wells it has maintained for years. They function as a backup water supply in case its primary supply of Lake Michigan water is interrupted.

Public Works Director Sean Dorsey said the wells are about 1,000 feet deep and reach the sandstone aquifer that once served as the village's primary source of drinking water. At one time, as many as 15 wells provided water to the community.

Dorsey said consultants advised the village to discontinue operation immediately.

The cost of replacing the well could amount to $500,000, he said.

Another reason for eliminating the pump is lower demand. It has dropped from on average 4.5 million gallons a day a decade ago to 3.4 million gallons, largely due to more efficient fixtures.

Dorsey said the village can meet average daily demand by using only two wells and maximum demand using three. That means it could close up another well in future.

He added, the village's goal is to develop a new interconnection with the Northwest Water Commission, which supplies water from Lake Michigan.

Trustee Augie Filippone cast the only dissenting vote, calling the decision premature because the village board has yet to make a decision on the future of the wells or a new interconnection.