June 13, 2024
County Board Approves Lake Michigan Water Interconnection Project for Pekara System
Lake Michigan water is on its way to the Pekara and Horatio Gardens neighborhoods in south central Lake County. At its latest meeting, the County Board approved a contract that gives Lake County Public Works the green light to begin construction this summer on a connection that will bring Lake Michigan water to these areas.
The Pekara Water System, comprised of the Pekara and Horatio Gardens neighborhoods, currently utilizes groundwater wells. These wells are aging, not sustainable long-term and costly to upgrade.
"We're incredibly fortunate to live near one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world," said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. "This project will provide neighborhood residents the peace of mind of having access to clean drinking water for many years to come."Â
Lake Michigan provides a reliable water source that has a lower concentration of minerals (sodium, iron, etc.) compared to most wells, which helps eliminate wear on appliances and filtration systems and buildup on taps and faucets.
Lake County and Buffalo Grove finalized a 20-year agreement that would provide Lake Michigan water from the Village sourced via the Northwest Water Commission. The total cost of the project is $2.2 million. The County Board allocated $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for this project and the County is funding the additional construction costs.Â
"The demand for high-quality drinking water has never been higher, which is why communities across the country are willing to spend billions of dollars on connections," said Jennifer Clark, Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Chair and Board Member for District 15. "Thanks to ARPA funding, we were able to fast-track this project into the Public Works Capital Improvement Program and hit the ground running this year."Â
This will be Lake County's second Lake Michigan water interconnection project in the last decade. In 2019, the County and the Villages of Lake Villa and Lindenhurst completed a project to bring water to the Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, Fox Lake Hills and Grandwood Park water systems. At the time, the affected communities faced an uncertain future with their water supply. Growing demand depleted the deep aquifer and shallow aquifers were being pumped at capacity, which created low water levels and poor water quality.
"Finding innovative ways to bring Lake Michigan water to more communities has been a top priority of the County Board for a long time," said Ann Maine, Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee Vice-Chair and Board Member for District 3. "This is a great solution for everyone. Our water system becomes more resilient while residents have access to great drinking water."
Last year, Lake County held a public meeting to introduce the Pekara Lake Michigan Water Project to residents. The information presented at the meeting along with additional information about the project can be found at lakecountyil.gov/LMWater.Â
"We thank everyone that packed the room last year at the community meeting and those that have reached out to talk about the project," said Marah Altenberg, Lake County Board Member for District 19. "There is no better time to get connected to one of our region's most valuable assets, Lake Michigan water."Â
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