Lake County celebrated the ribbon-cutting for White Deer Run Reservoir, a new two-million-gallon water storage facility meant to boost resiliency in a water system that has faced close calls in the past.
The new $7.5 million facility will serve about 33,000 residents and businesses in the Vernon Hills area, as well as unincorporated Libertyville Township, Knollwood, Rondout, Mettawa, and portions of Long Grove. Construction took nearly two years, according to a news release.
It’s an addition that was sorely needed, according to Austin McFarlane, Lake County’s director of public works. Before the new reservoir, the water system had roughly five million gallons of storage.
With average daily use sitting at just under three million gallons, and peak daily use hitting nearly six million gallons, any water interruption, whether due to an emergency or repairs, the system previously had less than two days’ worth of stored water.
McFarland said he recalled three times in recent memory that a water interruption nearly required the county to contact residents and warn about running out of water. Speaking to a gathered crowd of local officials, he said it was “just the start” for continuing to improve infrastructure and system resiliency.
Thom Koch, president of Vernon Hills, said the next step will be a well, adding yet another layer of backups in case of a water interruption.
“Don’t forget how fundamentally important water is,” Koch said. “If we were ever to have any kind of interruptions, we would still have water.”
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said storing clean drinking water is a “different challenge,” requiring the county to invest in the infrastructure “that makes reliable storage and delivery possible.”
While projects like water infrastructure “aren’t sexy,” they are still critical, she said.
“The government is working to improve the quality of life of our residents,” Hart said. “It’s expensive and it’s needed.”
For her part, fellow County Board member Jennifer Clark, who is also chair of the public works and transportation committee, was certainly excited for the ribbon-cutting, telling the crowd she’d made sure to mark the day on her calendar.
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“A reservoir may not make headlines — although it should because it’s very cool — but it’s designed to work quietly in the background,” Clark said. “Having a reliable source of clean water is the backbone of a healthy and thriving community.”
Funding for the White Deer Reservoir was done through the Lake County Public Works Capital Improvement Program, which is supported by user fees, the release said. Other initiatives are ongoing, including replacing aging, decades-old pipes, expanding water storage, and connecting more communities to Lake Michigan water.