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October 14, 2020
See the Lake County Public Works Projects Planned for Next 5 Years
The Lake County Public Works (LCPW) 2020-2025 Capital Improvement Program is now available. The program is created annually to plan, design and construct projects that are necessary to preserve, modernize and expand the water and wastewater systems under the jurisdiction of Lake County. The program is funded through a combination of user fees, connection fees and reserve funds.
View the five-year program and learn about individual projects currently underway by visiting our Capital Improvement web page.
About the program
We own 11 public water supply distribution systems, seven wastewater collection systems, three wastewater treatment plants, and more than 760 miles of water and wastewater pipe. We develop a program each year that focuses on preserving, modernizing, and expanding our water and sewer systems to ensure you have service available when you need it.
Preservation of our infrastructure is our top priority. We work to maintain the existing system by keeping it in good condition. Preservation projects consist of inspections and analysis, rehabilitating water towers and reservoirs, lining existing pipes, and in some cases, replacing aging water and sewer infrastructure. We are currently working to replace pipes that were installed in the 1950's!
Modernization projects improve our water and sewer systems by upgrading technology. An example of this in the 2020-2025 program is our Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Phase 3 upgrade project. The SCADA system allows for wireless communication among sites and records collected data regarding the operation of various Lake County Public Works water and wastewater systems. The SCADA system allows our teams to monitor system operations and water levels and to make adjustments to water and sewer systems from their computer at the office or at home. SCADA can help save the County money long-term by reducing the need for LCPW staff to drive around to our various sites, providing an environmental benefit as well.
Expansion projects add additional capacity and new assets to keep up with growth and demand. Examples of expansion projects include construction of new reservoirs and major plant upgrades.
One expansion project that is being wrapped up in the 2020-2025 program at our Des Plaines River Wastewater Reclamation Facility is the construction of new biological nutrient removal and biosolids drying facilities. Completion of this large-scale project will allow us to meet new Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) nutrient limits for flows discharged to the Des Plaines River. This project helps enhance the health of water bodies and habitat by reducing nutrients discharged to the Des Plaines River. There is also the potential for Lake County to recycle the dried biosolids from this plant for use as fertilizer to support agriculture and local food production.
Learn more about each project currently underway by visiting our website.
NEW: Additional Water Monitoring Reports
Annually, LCPW releases water quality Consumer Confidence Reports for the 12 water systems we own and operate. These reports provide information about the quality of our drinking water as well as details on the source of our water and what it contains.
In an effort to inform our customers of all the possible sources of contaminants we monitor, we have released additional monitoring reports for all 12 of our water systems. Visit the water quality reports web page and view the section "Additional Monitoring Reports" to read your report.
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PFOA and PFOS - What are they?
You may have seen in the news information about emerging contaminants with the acronyms PFOA and PFOS that have been found in water throughout the country. PFOA and PFOS are synthetic compounds that are used in a variety of consumer and industrial products as well as food items. This includes firefighting foams, cleaning products, paint, pesticides and leather. Contamination in drinking water from PFOA and PFOS typically stems from factories that use these chemicals to make products.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established PFOA and PFOS health advisory drinking water levels at 70 parts per trillion.
LCPW monitors for these contaminants. Levels for your water system can be found in LCPW's new Additional Monitoring Reports. LCPW is happy to report that there is no trace of PFOA and PFOS in groundwater, and there are just small traces in the surface water received from Lake Michigan, averaging around 2 parts per trillion.
LCPW's #1 commitment is ensuring water is safe to drink and use, and is proud to say that once again all LCPW systems passed Illinois Environmental Protection Agency water quality testing requirements.
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Shutoff Moratorium Extended to March 2021
Since March 17, 2020, LCPW has suspended shutoffs for customers who are behind on their payments and have waived late payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was recently announced that the moratorium will continue through March 2021. These actions are consistent with the recommendations of Governor Prtizker and Attorney General Raoul.
Public Works Receives IEPA Nomination
LCPW's Des Plaines River Reclamation Facility was recently nominated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for Public Works Plant of the Year! LCPW is ecstatic about the nomination and is proud of all our employees at this facility who go above and beyond to implement sustainability best practices. The plant will be focused even more on protecting our environment with the construction of new biological nutrient removal and biosolids facilities in the coming years.
Get Notified of Important Updates with CodeRED
The Lake County Public Works Department uses CodeRED to notify customers about upcoming project work, boil water orders, water main breaks, and other potential service disruptions. Make sure you're signed up to receive email, phone or text alerts. Sign up today
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Contact Us
The Lake County Public Works Building located at 650 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville is now open to the public. Face coverings are required to enter the building, and social distancing protocols are in place which permit only a few customers in the building at a time. Customers are still strongly encouraged to contact us virtually with any questions or concerns Monday - Friday between 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at:
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