Just a few years ago, the City of Crest Hill would not have thought of switching water sources. The City has always utilized shallow wells in the Silurian Dolomite aquifer – a source which is quickly replenished from surface runoff – to serve its 21,000 residents. As such, water quantity has not been a problem for the City. However, several other issues have recently persuaded the City to evaluate its water source options. These include limited availability for new wells, growing chloride levels, and the presence of PFAS in five of the City’s nine wells.

This presentation discusses the various decisions the City had to work through to switch from a seemingly bountiful, clean water source to Lake Michigan water.