With a population of more than 8,000, unincorporated Boulder Hill is a densely populated community on the east side of the Fox River in Oswego Township, tucked between the villages of Montgomery and Oswego.

The residents receive police protection from Kendall County Sheriff’s deputies and their children attend Oswego SD 308 schools.

For water service, Boulder Hill residents depend on the village of Montgomery, with the condition of the water distribution system having been a concern for quite some time.

The Kendall County Board is providing the village with grant money to get a start on water main repair and replacement projects.

The board on Feb. 7 approved $2 million for water main work, with the grant money coming from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Finance Committee Chairman Scott Gengler noted that of those Kendall County residents living in unincorporated areas, one-third reside in Boulder Hill.

Montgomery has provided water to Boulder Hill since 1958 when the village entered into an agreement with the late Don L. Dise, subdivision developer.

Village officials are currently seeking to replace leaky water mains throughout the village and Boulder Hill as part of an effort to tap Lake Michigan as its water source by the end of the decade. But before the village can obtain the lake water, it must reduce its water-loss rate to less than 10% as required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resource.

In a related matter, the County Board also approved $500,000 in ARPA grant money for the village of Oswego to perform a water project in the Douglas Road area.