About 50 Western Springs residents pressed village officials Monday for a special meeting and guarantees to end water quality problems.
Instead, they were promised more transparency in posting results of water samples tested throughout town and two meetings to review reports on future water projects.
Village President William Rodeghier said several times that a separate meeting dedicated to water issues wouldn’t be productive until studies are completed to develop plans.
“I’m not given to having meetings with a lot of comments made and no solutions,” Rodeghier said. “If we don’t have the information to make decisions, what good is it.”
The village president advised residents to consult the village’s website for a more detailed account of why the village chose to invest in a reverse osmosis treatment plant, rather than tap into a Lake Michigan water pipeline from Chicago.
“We wanted to get the best quality of water at the best price,” he said. “That’s the objective.”
Several of the 14 homeowners who spoke complained about appliances and dishes ruined by hard water with high mineral content since mid-October when one of the village’s two deep wells was under repair.
While the well was offline, a shallow well was activated, but its mineral-heavy water couldn’t be purified in the village’s reverse osmosis water filtration plant, officials said. Water high in iron and calcium turned bath water brown and left stains on fixtures, appliances and kitchen items, residents said.
“I apologize for that. I had to drink that water, and I’m not any happier about it,” Roedghier responded. “It’s over with. The water I’ve got is fine.”
Matt Supert, director of municipal services, said village water has returned to normal quality at the plant since repairs were completed and the well was reactivated Dec. 3. But it may take several days for the treated water to replace hard water throughout the system reaching all neighborhoods, Supert said.
Several residents said they were skeptical.
“A lot of us feel jaded with the quality of water,” said Peter Fielding, a 10-year resident. “I’m not sure I’m ready to let my 5-year-old twins drink the water.”
Mike Vespa, who lives in the Ridgewood subdivision, asked how the board plans to inspire confidence so residents feel safe drinking village water.
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“So far, we’ve heard ‘wait and see,’ or ‘just trust us,'” Vespa said. “Come back with a plan and show the community what you’re going to do. The only way to get people off bottled water is to re-instill confidence.”
Several Ridgewood residents said they have had ongoing issues before the well repair in October, particularly a lack of chlorine to treat bacteria by the time water reaches their homes south of 55th Street.
Village Manager Patrick Higgins and Supert pledged to post tests of water samples throughout town on the village’s website. All samples are tested by an outside laboratory, they said.
Results of a consultant’s study to improve Ridgewood’s water, sewers, flood control and streets is scheduled to be discussed Jan. 25.
In response to some of residents’ questions, Higgins said water mains in Ridgewood could be flushed to help clear out sediment from the shallow well. The village also could investigate installing a filter to treat water from the shallow well if it is ever needed again on an emergency basis, he said.
Homeowners also said they wanted assurances the water quality wouldn’t be compromised again.
“My concern is going forward. It’s been horrible,” said Bill Melonides, a 10-year resident of the Field Park neighborhood. “What plan can you put forward if this situation arises again. Can we have an extra set of pipes on hand?”
A second study is underway to determine potential locations and the cost of drilling and connecting another deep well to insure a stable supply, so that the shallow well need not be used again for emergencies, officials said. No date was announced to present results of the Infrastructure Committee’s recommendations.
Trustees also asked staff to provide a more detailed history of the village’s water situation prior to the 2008 study on the website, as well as a chart comparing water costs in surrounding communities.
Though residents complained about Western Springs raising its rates by $1 to $10.10 per 1,000 gallons of water in November, Higgins said the cost of lake water is about 40 percent higher in surrounding communities. Lombard, which operates a break-even system without the village subsidizing water costs, charges about $15 per 1,000 gallons, he said.
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