Cary, Lake in the Hills pursuing legal action over contaminated wells

Cary and Lake in the Hills officials announced Tuesday that the villages are seeking representation after some municipal wells were found in 2021 to be contaminated.

Low-levels of chemicals known as PFAS were detected early last year, authorities said.

PFAS are used in industrial and commercial products to create nonstick, water-resistant and stain -resistant products. There currently are no state or federal regulations for PFAS in public water systems, according to a news release from the villages.

Contaminated water wells in the villages were taken offline, where they will remain so until formal drinking water standards are established by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the news release said.

"The health and wellness of our citizens comes first for the village of Lake in the Hills," said Village President Ray Bogdanowski. "Though not required by state or national agencies, the village board of trustees and staff decided to act quickly to eliminate additional risk to our community."

The villages are seeking legal representation to assist in investigating the extent of the contamination, access potential sources and determine if there is a potential for recovering costs.

The selected firm will represent both villages if any legal action is pursued after the investigation.

"The village of Cary has taken a proactive approach to ensure our water system continues to meet all state and federal standards," said Mayor Mark Kownick. "We are dedicated to providing safe drinking water to our community."

Water in both villages meets all federal and state water standards and is safe to drink, officials said.