New Gages Lake Water Tower Now Serving Wildwood Water System
The new Gages Lake Water Tower is now operational and serving customers in the Wildwood Water System. To mark its completion, the Lake County Department of Public Works (LCPW) held a celebration today with local officials, staff and community members, highlighting the $6.1 million investment.
“This tower reflects Lake County’s long-term commitment to investing in critical infrastructure that protects public health, safety and quality of life,” said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. “Reliable access to clean drinking water requires proactive planning and continued investment to ensure our communities are prepared now and into the future.”
The tower can store approximately 1.25 million gallons of drinking water and serves about 14,000 residents, businesses and schools in the unincorporated Wildwood and Gages Lake areas near Grayslake.
At approximately 150 feet tall, the tower helps:
“Water infrastructure often operates behind the scenes, but projects like this are essential to keeping our communities running every day,” said Jennifer Clark, Chair of the Lake County Public Works and Transportation Committee. “By storing water high above the ground, the tower uses gravity to help move water through the system. That helps maintain consistent water pressure, reduces strain on equipment and improves reliability, especially during busy times."
Planning for the project began decades ago. The land for the tower was donated to Lake County in 1990, and key underground infrastructure was installed years before construction began. This helped make the site both cost-effective and well-suited for a water tower. The location is ideally positioned between two reservoir sites, allowing the tower to operate efficiently and improve overall system performance across the Wildwood Water System.
Before the new tower was built, the system had about one day of backup water storage. The new tower doubles that capacity, giving crews more time to respond to system issues before customers are impacted.
“This tower will serve residents for generations, while also reflecting the pride and involvement of the Gages Lake community,” said Carissa Casbon, District 7 Lake County Board Member. “Residents helped shape the identity of the tower, making this the first Lake County-owned water tower to have a community-selected name."
The project was fully funded through the Lake County Public Works Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which is supported by water and sewer user fees.
"Projects like this take years of planning, coordination and hard work behind the scenes,” said John Wasik, District 6 Lake County Board Member. “I want to thank the entire Lake County Public Works team for their dedication to delivering reliable infrastructure that serves residents, businesses and schools."
Through the CIP, LCPW continues to preserve critical water and wastewater infrastructure while modernizing its systems to meet community needs. Current initiatives include replacing aging pipes more than 70 years old, expanding water storage capacity and connecting more communities to Lake Michigan water. Together, these efforts build a stronger, more resilient water system that will serve LCPW customers for decades to come.
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