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Residents press board over ongoing water-quality tests; trustees discuss legal, regulatory steps
Summary
Multiple residents told the board they continue to receive poor water since 2019, citing lead, taped school fountains and unreliable TAP remediation; trustees said they are coordinating with IEPA and may pursue specialized counsel or a new water source, but took no formal vote.
Residents used the public-comment period to press the Village of University Park to take further action on long-running water-quality problems.
Mister Lynch, a resident who said he had water test results dating to 2019, described recent tests as "terrible" and said his household and others still lack safe drinking water. "We're getting poisoned here," he said, adding that he had been provided only small bottled water deliveries and that school drinking fountains have been taped off for four years.
Trustees and staff responded that they have been working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and with the village's TAP (Tap Assistance Program). Gina Williams and Trustee Brooks noted TAP helped roughly 238 residents and that some plumbing repairs had been completed, but several residents reported continued contamination or poor test results.
"We cannot sit around and know that there are people and families getting poisoned in their structure," Trustee Brooks said, describing outreach to state regulators and plans to push for broader testing. Board members discussed the possibility of consulting specialized water counsel and pursuing stronger enforcement or a new water source; the mayor described a potential long-term project to secure an alternate water supply, which trustees estimated could cost on the order of $130 million.
Officials urged residents to compile lists of affected households for targeted IEPA testing and asked staff to follow up on contact information and test results. No formal board vote or litigation decision was taken at the meeting.
The board indicated it will continue advocacy with regulators and outside counsel as needed; a staff member said she had recently exchanged correspondence with IEPA staff and would work to arrange further testing and follow-up with residents who provided results.
The discussion underscores continuing community concern over water quality and the limits of local authority when private utilities and state regulators control remediation timelines.
