One of the last pieces of the Lake Michigan water puzzle fell into place Tuesday night when New Lenox trustees passed a resolution authorizing $10 million for the water-system switch.
The $10 million the village will spend is expected to come from a low-interest state loan.
The money will pay the cost of bringing Lake Michigan water from nearby Tinley Park through Mokena into New Lenox.
Much of the money to pay for the project is expected to come from a state grant, but village officials have not received official word from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
If everything goes according to plan, lake water could be flowing from New Lenox faucets next year, according to Village Administrator Russ Loebe.
The village began planning the switch from the hard water produced by wells to the higher quality Lake Michigan supply five years ago after a survey indicated support for the change.
In a related matter, the board approved two intergovernmental agreements, one with Mokena and one with Mokena and Oak Lawn, the upstream supplier that carries lake water to Tinley Park.
Mokena officials are not tapping into the lake water now, but the agreement with Mokena calls for the village to pay $940,000 for an oversize pipeline. If Mokena does opt for Lake Michigan water the agreement obligates the village to split the cost of the joint system with New Lenox, and to pay $400,000 upfront for a second pump station. The three-way agreement with Oak Lawn sets costs through 2011 for system improvements, operation and maintenance.