Homewood took another step toward changing its water supplier at its May 26 village board meeting, approving a water corrosion study. The village finalized a plan last year to change its water supplier from Harvey — which gets its Lake Michigan water from Chicago — to Chicago Heights, which is downstream of Hammond, Ind.
Homewood took another step toward changing its water supplier at its May 26 village board meeting, approving a water corrosion study.
The village finalized a plan last year to change its water supplier from Harvey — which gets its Lake Michigan water from Chicago — to Chicago Heights, which is downstream of Hammond, Ind. By ordinance, Hammond supplies Lake Michigan water to other towns at a cheaper rate than Chicago.
A study by engineering firm Baxter and Woodman determined necessary maintenance and improvements to Harvey’s water infrastructure would increase the rate Homewood would pay for water to $5.16 per 1,000 gallons. Chicago Heights will sell water to the village for $4.05 per 1,000 gallons.
In order to move the plan forward, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is requiring Homewood to conduct a corrosion-control study because Chicago treats water in a different way than Hammond.
Burns and McConnell, an engineering firm from Kansas City, Missouri, will do the work for $219,415. A budget amendment was approved by Homewood village board on Tuesday.
A pipe loop test will be done over six months or more, as required by the IEPA, to evaluate what’s needed to mitigate any impact of changing the water supplier.
Sections of the village’s water mains will be removed to have Hammond water pumped through them at the Chicago Heights booster pump station in Lansing. Samples will be collected and tested for concentrations of metal in the water after a conditioning period and to analyze how it will affect Homewood’s system.
The study will assess the pH, hardness, saturation rate of various minerals and oxidation potential of the water to determine if it will result in a difference in water quality or have any consequence on existing pipes and infrastructure.
In other business, a public hearing that was scheduled on the establishment of a new TIF district along a portion of Dixie Highway and Miller Court was postponed for a second time. It’s expected to be held in September.
“By that time our request to the county to make the property tax exempt will have been processed. We want the base property taxes to be zero so that we realize the full increment to use toward a development,” Village Manager Jim Marino said in an email.