University Park official urges buyback of water system after infant advisory

An agency official at a University Park public meeting said the village is grappling with a water advisory that warns water is unsafe for infants 6 months and younger. The official said the advisory cites a risk described in the transcript as “baby blue syndrome” and emphasized the urgency for families with infants.

The official, identified in the transcript as Speaker 1 (an agency official), said Aqua, the private company operating the system, has not been a reliable steward and that residents—particularly seniors, people with disabilities and those on home dialysis—have struggled to access safe water. "It's a water crisis and we just can't trust anything that goes on with the company," Speaker 1 said.

Why it matters: infants and other medically vulnerable residents face immediate health risks from the advisory, and the village must balance emergency distribution logistics with longer-term infrastructure choices. The official proposed two paths: press Aqua to negotiate a sale of the system back to municipal control and bring Lake Michigan water into the distribution, or pursue short-term interconnections with nearby municipal suppliers.

Speaker 1 said buying back the infrastructure would cost roughly $130 million, a figure presented as the speaker's estimate rather than a formal appraisal. "That's the only resolve," the speaker said, urging state-level assistance and appealing to Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois attorney general's offices for help. The speaker also mentioned Chicago Heights and Harvey as municipalities with capacity that the village could consider tapping.

Local response and distribution: city staff, police, the city manager (named in the transcript as Miss Scott) and communications staff (Miss Leva) were praised for their on-the-ground response and door-to-door outreach. The official said the village has been issuing community advisories and PSAs and told residents boiling is not recommended because, according to the transcript, boiling can make the problem worse.

Costs and household impact: the official gave an example household bill of about $147–$150 per month, with roughly $90 attributed to sewage charges, and said some residents cannot afford the extra expense of bottled water for infant formula. The official also asserted that Aqua has shown limited community partnership—citing an example of a small donation to a parade—while $671 million is "traded on the state stock markets," a claim presented in the transcript as the speaker's characterization of company financial activity.

History and technical context: the official recounted a prior water crisis after being elected in 2019 that affected more than 2,000 homes and said many impacted homes were built in the 1970s–1980s and may have older pipe materials. The speaker attributed some issues to changes in water sourcing after privatization in the early 1980s but did not present regulatory findings or engineering reports in the meeting.

What the meeting recorded: no formal motion, vote or binding action is recorded in the transcript. The official asked Aqua to negotiate, requested state assistance, and urged interim measures to improve distribution and delivery for seniors and residents with disabilities. The village indicated it will continue to press the company and state offices for a response.

Next steps: Speaker 1 said the village will remain in communication with Aqua and continue public outreach; the transcript records no formal commitment from the company and no timetable for resolution.