‘It’s unfortunate’: Low turnout at Montgomery open house on new water source options

A little less than a decade from now, village of Montgomery water customers will likely be be paying roughly twice as much for water as they do now.

But the prospect of significantly higher water bills was not enough to generate much of a turnout at an open house on plans and options for a new water source for the village held Wednesday evening, Nov. 3 at Village Hall.

Village staff members and consultants mostly stood and sat near informational exhibits placed on easels in an upstairs foyer, waiting for members of the public to show up with their questions and comments.

One hour into the two hour event only about a half-dozen residents had shown up.

“It’s just like voter apathy and everything else going in the world these days,” said Doug Marecek, a village board member. “Most people won’t think about it until it hits their (water) bill, after a decision has been made. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it seems to work.”

And the looming decision that Marecek and his colleagues will make over the next few months is expected to impact village water customers for decades into this century and, perhaps, well beyond.

“It’s probably the largest decision that any village board has had to make since the inception of the village,” Marecek said.

The Illinois State Water Survey has determined that the water supply in the deep well aquifer from which the village along with Oswego and Yorkville all pump their water from is being depleted and by 2050 may be at a severe risk to not meet local water demand. The finding prompted the village to retain its engineering consultants, Engineering Enterprises, Inc., of Sugar Grove to complete an Alternate Water Source Study that examined the feasibility and costs to the village and its water customers of obtaining water from either the Fox River or Lake Michigan.

The study, which examined six potential new water source options including three that would provide water to the village from the river and three that would provide the village with Lake Michigan water, was presented to the village board last month.

In evaluating each option, Maracek said village officials are considering multiple issues, including the cost, governing control, water quality and sustainability of the water source.

The study found that the option with the lowest capital cost to the village--$72.3 million--would be for the village to build its own water treatment plant which would draw water from the Fox River.

The study also placed the cost to the village of jointly building a water treatment plant with neighboring Yorkville and Oswego that would draw water from the river at $87.4 million, while the cost to the village to connect its water system to the City of Aurora’s system at $78 million.

The study also examined the capital cost for the village to obtain Lake Michigan water through the DuPage Water Commission, the newly forming Joliet Water Commission and a private entity, Illinois American Water. The study estimated the village’s capital cost to join the DuPage commission at just over $100 million, while the cost to join the Joliet commission would be $119.6 million.

The study lists the village’s capital cost to obtain lake water through the Illinois American Water company as “to be determined.”

No matter what option they choose, village water customers should expect to pay significantly more for their water service in the years ahead to cover the village’s increased capital and other costs related to connecting to the new water source.

According to the study, a typical monthly water bill of $48.80 on the village’s existing water system will increase to $60.55 by 2030, based on an annual water rate increase of 5.5%. But that same bill would be $90.49 a month in 2030 if the village were to begin operation of its own water treatment plant and $92.37 if the village were to partner with Oswego and Yorkville in operating a plant.

The study estimated the monthly bills would range between $97.21 and $106.41 if the village were to receive Lake Michigan water through the DuPage Water Commission and $100.35 if the village were to connect to the city of Aurora system.

Marecek said the Joliet Area Water Commission has asked the village along with Oswego and Yorkville to decide if they wish to join the commission by the end of this year. That request, Marecek said, is what is currently driving the village’s plan to select a new water source over the next few months.

“Once we get get past that (decision) in December whether it is a yes or a no, we’ll have time to make a decision on the other options,” he continued, adding, “But I really think the goal of the (village) board is not to drag out this decision. Again we can make a decision and plan something and get things in place, but we don’t have to start. We don’t have to have this up and running in five years. We can do a 10-year schedule with all of the other options. We don’t have to jump in and do it.”

Marecek said he has not talked to his fellow board members on which of the six options they may prefer.

“I haven’t done that because I don’t want to unduly influence anybody else’s view or opinion until we all see all the facts,” he said.

The board is set to resume their discussion on the study and the various options during a workshop session set for Nov. 13 at Village Hall.