Barrington begins design to replace 25‑year‑old iron filtration system

Kevin Feske, assistant director of public works, said Barrington is designing a replacement for its iron filtration system after village staff determined the existing equipment has exceeded its expected life. "This facility was built in the year February, and this equipment has a life expectancy of about 20 years, and we are now at 25 years," Feske said. The project matters because the filters improve the appearance and taste of water drawn from the village wells, and the system is now beyond its intended service life. "The village is currently in the design phase for a new system to support the community's water supply," Feske said. The current filtration arrangement consists of two sets of filters with four cells each—eight filter cells in total—and two wells serving the site. Feske described the operation: when a well is on, water is pumped into one of four cells in a filter, passes through media that traps iron deposits, and then a valve at the bottom of the tank opens and closes to allow cleaner water out with a lower iron residual. Village staff did not specify a replacement timeline, funding sources or an estimated cost during the briefing. Officials also did not present a formal motion or vote at the meeting; the remarks reported here were informational and described the ongoing design work.