Settlement reached in Carol Stream water rights fight

After a year of coming up dry at the negotiating table, Carol Stream and Wayne Township have inked a deal that will allow Benjamin Middle School and neighboring homeowners to get Lake Michigan water.

The intergovernmental agreement, which Carol Stream board members approved Tuesday night, gives the village permission to extend its water main along North Avenue and up St. Charles and Fair Oaks roads.

Carol Stream still must obtain several permits and some rights of way before it can hire a company to begin construction.

But the agreement was considered the biggest obstacle for the $2.8 million plan to supply lake water to the unincorporated area near West Chicago where Benjamin is located.

"It's a real win for not just the students and staff of Benjamin but also for the residents in the area," District 25 Superintendent Phil Ehrhardt said. "It will enhance the quality of the water and improve the fire protection."

Even though the middle school uses a private well, there are concerns about water quality and the lack of fire hydrants.

Carol Stream is seeking to extend its water main in case any contaminated wells are found in the area. In 2006, homeowners along Judith Lane and Riviera Court were allowed to connect to the village's water system after vinyl chloride pollution was discovered in their private wells.

"All we want to do is make sure that when the wells go bad, they (residents) will be able to tap into the water," Mayor Frank Saverino said.

Still, Wayne Township Highway Commissioner Ken Spitz refused to green light the water main project until an agreement was adopted that included protections for the township.

Attempts to draft something both sides could approve repeatedly ended in failure. Then last month, state Sen. John Milner and state Rep. Randy Ramey, both Carol Stream Republicans, oversaw a meeting between Spitz and Carol Stream Village Manager Joe Breinig. The tentative deal reached during that meeting became the basis for the 5-page document Spitz signed Friday and Carol Stream's board approved Tuesday.

Saverino said the goal now is to get construction started as soon as possible. He said, "This should have been done a year ago."