Last fall, local environmental activists announced that a study showed toxic substances were draining into a pond in the far northwest corner of Izaak Walton Preserve. Homewood officials posted an update on the situation Monday, March 10, noting that an assessment by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency indicates the water is not toxic according to its standards.
The village, however, issued a request for qualifications to identify a consultant who can conduct further and more detailed tests and assessment of the water quality in the whole Prairie Lakes system. The deadline for responses to the RFQ is March 28, and Village Manager Napoleon Haney said he expected the village board would consider next steps sometime in April.
Last summer local environmental scientist David Zaber, a member of the Izaak Walton Board of Directors, went public with the results of a study done by Bryan Environmental Consultants of Homewood that he said showed elevated levels of substances called polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that can be toxic to humans and animals.
Zaber and members of South Suburbs for Greenspace, led by environmental activist Liz Varmecky, conducted two tours of the pond last fall to show residents the oily sheen on the water near the outfall feeding the pond from stormwater runoff.
Haney said the village contacted the state environmental protection officials as soon as they learned about the situation.
In the update posted March 10, the village cited a January meeting with IEPA officials, who confirmed that:
- The North Pond is NOT toxic based on the State of Illinois water quality standards.
- The vast majority of tested contaminants posed no health risks and were well below regulatory limits.
- The only substance of slight concern was fluoranthene, an organic compound found in car exhaust, cigarette smoke, and charred wood — all common pollutants in urban environments.
“The IEPA recommended continued monitoring but did not classify the pond as hazardous,” the update stated.
Haney said the Bryan study conducted in November 2023 was a preliminary look at the pond’s water quality. The village plans to engage a consultant to do a more comprehensive study to get a more complete and precise assessment of water quality in Prairie Lakes.
He said the preserve will help cover a portion of the study costs. The village owns the property but the Izaak Walton organization has a long-term lease.
As Zaber noted during tours last fall, the Sand Lakes in the southeast side of the preserve, which are commonly used for fishing, are not connected to or affected by the water in Prairie Lakes, which were created specifically as stormwater retention basins to help control flooding.
