Water Master Plan Considers Future Needs

As summer scorches on, water is on everyone’s minds — including the .

Earlier this summer, village board members approved a study to determine water master plan updates. 

The board enlisted consulting firm Engineering Enterprises to conduct the $84,000 study.

All funds were allotted and taken from the village’s water and sewer operating fund. 

The premise of the study is simple, said Public Works Director Bob Mitchard.

“The study gives us a guideline as to what we would need to do as a community to reinforce our system for any current and future demands,” he said.

The study will take into account all aspects of the water system, including supply, storage, treatment and distribution. Water demand and conservation, as well as optimizing energy use, also will be observed.

The master plan has not been fully updated since 2003 but was looked at in 2008 to see how the community’s needs had changed compared to the recommendation of the engineers, said Utilities Superintendent Andy Warmus.

The village attempts to evaluate its water goals every five to seven years.

Algonquin retrieves its water from ground sources like wells, but the engineers’ findings may force the village to look at other options, including the Fox River and Lake Michigan.

The study will be presented to the board in December.