St. Charles relies on seven water supply wells and six reservoirs to feed its residents. Water quality and safety are a constant problem.
It is also an electoral issue that was raised at the recent League of Women Voters forum by the 12 candidates who wanted to fill one Alderman seat per parish in the April 6th consolidated elections.
Station 1
Challenger Richard Balla, who has lived in St. Charles since he was eight, said he has never owned a water softener but understands the need. He would like to see a study to see if the problem is local or system-wide.
Ron Silkaitis, the incumbent, said a central soft water system had been discussed by the city but would be expensive. He believes community forums are needed to help residents understand the cost.
Station 2
Ryan Bongard, the challenger, said the water quality was okay from an EPA standpoint, but the city has yet to figure out who is affected by water issues to see if they are isolated or widespread.
The reigning Art Lemke said the most productive well in the city comes from an aquifer that takes up a lot of limestone. A citywide water softener, while expensive, would eliminate the need for individual softeners and reduce the salinity in the system.
Station 3
Chuck Amenta, the current town clerk, knows the frustration of living with hard water in the far west of town. He wants residents to determine whether the problem is localized or city-wide.
Paul Lencioni admits that he is not an expert in the field but advocates studying the problem with the confidence that the city can solve it.
Station 4
John Hoscheit served for many years as President of Kane County’s Forest Preserve Commission, praising efforts to raise thousands of acres of land to replenish water supplies. Any solution would be long term and might require the issuance of bonds to pay for it.
Laurel Moad believes that each of the city’s seven wells needs to be analyzed to see if they all need renovation. It is possible that not every well needs to be addressed.
Since a system-wide water softening effort is an all-or-nothing decision, according to Bryan Wirball, community input is critical to determining whether residents will accept a significant increase in water bills.
Station 5
Richard Artz knew the size of a system-wide solution and said the city must be certain of the situation before deciding on an expensive solution.
Noting the 100-year age of parts of the water system infrastructure, Kim Malay said installing a city-wide softening system could cost millions of dollars and dramatically increase fees for residents. A referendum may be required.
Through his experience on the county board, Steve Weber said he learned the importance of acquiring land and protecting the areas around city wells to make sure no toxins get into the system. He emphasized the importance of water treatment in order to keep the entire system safe.
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