Crest Hill officials outline options after PFAS detected in city wells, aim for report in 4–6 months

Crest Hill city officials told residents May 5 they are studying short-term and long-term options to reduce traces of PFAS in the municipal water system and will return to the council with a formal memo and recommendations in four to six months.

The update came after the city notified residents about laboratory findings showing PFAS compounds at levels above newly adopted regulatory limits. Mayor Raymond R. Solomon opened the public comment portion of the meeting, noting that the city “did not create this problem of PFAS” and that the issue is regional and national in scope.

Consulting engineers and city staff described the system and why officials believe a regional Lake Michigan supply remains the most cost‑effective long‑term solution. Consulting engineer Chris Ulm told the council the city “currently uses 8 wells” that draw from the Silurian dolomite aquifer and reviewed prior studies comparing costs. He said a 2021 analysis estimated that installing advanced treatment on the wells would be “over twice as costly” than switching to treated Lake Michigan water (the study’s midrange figures, cited in the presentation, were roughly $175–$190 million for local treatment versus about $90 million to join a regional Lake Michigan supply).

Ulm and City Engineer Ron Wiedemann described the options staff are evaluating now to reduce residents’ near‑term exposure before the planned Lake Michigan connection is completed. Those options include: temporarily throttling the two wells with the highest PFAS readings; moving up construction of a planned 2.5 million‑gallon above‑ground storage tank so the city can blend lower‑PFAS water with higher‑PFAS source water; installing temporary, point‑of‑entry or modular filtration at the two well sites (pending IEPA approval); pursuing an interconnect with neighboring water suppliers; evaluating installation of a deep well and blending regimes (with radon mitigation as a concern); and offering point‑of‑use treatment to eligible residents.

Wiedemann said the city will seek IEPA (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) coordination and approvals for any temporary treatment. City staff said they will hire an independent laboratory to retest all wells and conduct at‑least‑one faucet sampling location in each ward to compare distribution‑system readings to wellhead results. A “final line memo” with findings and recommendations is expected to be presented to council in “approximately 4 to 6 months,” staff said.

Residents asked practical questions about safety and cost. Lisa Chapman, a first‑time attendee, asked whether water‑rate increases are expected to pay for treatment; Mayor Solomon replied, “Not sure at this time.” Resident Rupert Rodriguez asked whether it is safe to keep drinking tap water; staff urged residents who choose to buy home filtration to confirm units are certified to remove PFAS compounds. Resident Kim Rutkowski asked whether Lake Michigan water could also be affected by forever chemicals; staff replied that Chicago’s intakes are deeper and any required treatment there would be spread across roughly 5 million customers, making treatment less costly per customer than a small system doing it alone.

Background: the council voted in 2022 to join the Grand Prairie Water Commission, a regional effort to bring treated Lake Michigan water to member communities; staff said the commission’s supply is expected to reach members by mid‑2030. Council and staff said they intend to maintain and, where appropriate, upgrade local wells for emergency use after the Lake Michigan connection is completed.

City officials asked for residents’ patience while the study is completed and reiterated that any temporary measures will be coordinated with the IEPA and publicly reported.

Ending: Staff listed next steps as independent well retesting, targeted faucet testing in each ward, cost estimates for short‑term filtration or blending, coordination with IEPA, and the city memo and presentation to council in roughly 4–6 months.