Elburn looks downstream to future water needs

A recent study of the Village of Elburn’s water supply and system revealed that while the current infrastructure is sufficient to meet future demands and requirements, continuous maintenance and strategic improvements are required to ensure a long-term reliable water supply while maintaining the village’s high quality and efficiency standards.

Elburn in 2024 commissioned Fehr Graham, a national engineering and environmental firm’s Aurora office to create a master water plan that featured a comprehensive system evaluation of the village’s groundwater wells, distribution networks and supply infrastructure. The firm also assessed the current groundwater supply and storage facilities, including the three water towers.

“It (the plan) has almost everything we need right here,” said Superintendent of Public Works Phil VanBogaert. “It keeps you moving in a straight line. I think it’s going to be very valuable to the Public Works staff.”

Elburn’s current population is estimated at slightly more than 7,000 residents. With growth projected to continue steadily, it is expected to reach nearly 12,000 by 2044.

According to the report, Fehr Graham’s assessment of the surrounding groundwater aquifers suggests they can be expected to remain stable through 2044, eliminating the need for additional investigation into acquiring Lake Michigan water allocations or pursuing local surface water supplies.

However, Fehr Graham’s representatives advised that the supply should be closely monitored to adapt to unforeseen changes, suggesting that there may come a time when the village might want to supplement the current deep wells with additional shallow wells. This would mean the use of different treatment options, as the shallow wells will likely require iron filtration, while the current deeper wells require a focus on radium removal.

The capital improvement plan outlines a phased approach over the next 20 years with a total cost of approximately $40 million. Key projects include targeted water main replacement to reduce water loss and improve pressure; investments in well maintenance and rehabilitation to existing pumps to maintain adequate production capacity, and improvements to the distribution system to ensure a reliable water supply for both current and future demands.

The plan also strongly emphasizes regular maintenance and periodic infrastructure evaluation to extend the lifetime of the village’s existing assets.

A rate study was conducted and a scenario chosen that would result in the lowest rate increases to help minimize the financial burden on current taxpayers. The average water rates for 2025 are $36 per household. Annual rate increases of 13% or $4 per household are set to take place for the first two years, after which the rate increases would be reduced to 6% or in the $2 range, with a further reduction of the annual increases to 2% or approximately $1 from 2030 through 2044. By 2044, the average monthly bill is expected to reach approximately $65.

This scenario utilizes debt financing for distribution projects in 2026 and 2029, which allows the village to potentially leverage future developer contributions through increased connection fees for funding a new tower when additional capacity is required.

An evaluation of the village’s current storage capacity found that it is adequate to meet both average daily use as well as peak demands in the case of a fire. Although the three active wells are mainly sufficient to support the demand through 2044, Fehr Graham’s report stated that depending on future growth, a new well may be needed by 2044 or shortly after that.

A condition assessment of the general system and facilities revealed a few current deficiencies, including the fact that some north side homes are not receiving enough water pressure. There may be a need to add a booster station to create a third pressure zone, possibly between Route 38 and the north tower.

The report identified the village’s distribution system as “moderately fragile” due to the age and condition of the water main piping, leading to frequent water main breaks, with most incidents occurring in the residential area east of North Main Street. The report stated that the village will need to prioritize the replacement of water mains.

Taking action on lead lines

The village has conducted a material inventory of its 2,614 service lines, with only one so far containing lead. With 178 service lines still of unknown material, the village has set a schedule to annually replace those of identified or suspected lead levels, prioritizing those in high-risk facilities such as schools and healthcare facilities.

“Progress is good on the plan,” Village President Jeff Walter said. “We’ve got a few more to identify and we’re going to meet our deadlines.”

The proposed plan will come before the village board soon for further discussion and review of the details prior to a vote of approval at a future meeting.

Walter said that he is happy to have the water plan in place. He said that it is also very good news that the village’s aquifer is healthy.

The water plan is the final one of the three plans that he had set as a goal when he first took office. The first was the village’s strategic plan, followed by the street maintenance plan.

“Now we just have to make sure we have enough in the bank to maintain and build for future demand/growth which this plan gives us,” Walter said.