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Carol Stream residents press village to address heavy algae, odor at Maple Ridge Pond
Summary
Residents told the Village Board at the listening post that Maple Ridge Pond is deteriorating—about 70% covered by algae, emitting odors and insects—and asked the village to revisit a 2022 remediation proposal estimated at $16,000 over three years.
CAROL STREAM, Ill. — Residents who live around Maple Ridge Pond asked the Village Board on Tuesday to take steps to remediate severe algae growth, foul odors and insect swarms they say are keeping people out of backyards and damaging property values. The residents spoke during the board’s listening post.
Robert E. Douglas, a resident who said he has lived in Carol Stream for 52 years and on Boa Trail for about 40, told the board, “It is 70% covered with algae right now. It stinks to high heaven.” He said fishermen and walkers who historically used the pond now avoid it.
Douglas and other residents said they received a 2022 village proposal that estimated remediation costs of about $16,000 spread over three years — $9,000 the first year and $3,000 each in the second and third years — but that the aerators previously in the pond were removed and the condition has worsened.
Greg Plochowski, who lives across the street from the pond, urged a collaborative approach. “I think we can do better,” he told the board and suggested forming a multiagency task force, engaging the school district and involving high school science classes to produce remediation ideas.
Speakers said one neighbor collected aerial photographs and drone footage showing the algae coverage and offered to share the images with the village. Village staff and trustees said they were listening and taking notes; there was no vote or formal direction recorded at the meeting beyond staff collecting the residents’ materials and reviewing prior documents.
What happens next: Residents asked the board to consider options including returning aerators, planting appropriate vegetation, or draining and regrading the pond. The transcript record shows residents asked the village to “take a look” at Maple Ridge Pond and other village-owned ponds and to consider remediation; the village did not announce a specific plan or timeline at the meeting.
Why it matters: Residents said the pond is used by more than the roughly 40 houses that back onto it and that its condition affects recreational use and nearby property values. The 2022 remediation estimate provided context for potential cost but the village did not adopt any new spending or commit to a course of action at the meeting.
