In the News

Pioneer Press, July 26, 2006

Just turn on the tap and out comes all the water you want. But it's possible that may not always be the case.

By 2030, Cook County's population is projected to grow by approximately 500,000. And Lake and McHenry counties are expected to have a combined 1.3 million residents, a 300,000 population increase between the two counties.

Having an adequate water supply in the future could become critical for rapidly growing counties, such as McHenry and Will, which don't get Lake Michigan water.

"At some point, there's a concern that we won't have enough water to accommodate the growth and development we've seen over the last 10 years and that we expect to see continue in the future," said State Sen. Susan Garrett, D-29th, of Lake Forest.

Fortunately, state government is taking this matter seriously. Pursuant to an executive order signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, officials have begun working on a regional planning process for northeastern Illinois. Counties included are Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Will, Kendall, Kane, Grundy, Kankakee, Boone and DeKalb.

We wish these efforts well. It's important.