Aqua Illinois Issues Drinking Water Alert for Area Towns — DO NOT BOIL
By Karen Haave
Residents in Peotone, University Park and portions of Green Garden, Crete and Monee townships are under a drinking water alert from Aqua Illinois.
The alert includes the City of Kankakee as well.
According to Areca Van Mill, spokesperson for the utility, high levels of nitrates from the Kankakee River are the issue. Infants 6 months old and under should not be given the water, she said.
Water with elevated nitrate levels is also unsafe for pregnant women and people with specific health conditions.
The alert also warns not to boil the water because boiling can actually worsen the already elevated nitrate levels.
Peotone Village Administrator Nick Palmer said they are concerned because Aqua set up free bottled water for residents in University Park, Manteno and Kankakee.
“What (Mayor Chris Vieaux) by Aqua was that they picked the locations that were spaced out in the area – UP and Manteno,” Palmer said. “However, this was not received well locally where people felt Peotone was being slighted.
“Mayor Vieaux was trying to get something closer, but has not had any luck yet. The Aqua people were hoping the water issue would be resolved today or tomorrow.”
University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez III said during a press conference last week that he wants Aqua to sell back the water rights purchased in the 1980s.
Potable drinking water issues in University Park are not new. Village officials have been at odds with Aqua over water safety for at least six years. In 2019, the water supply to some households was discovered to be contaminated with lead. Many residents have refused to drink or cook with the water since then.
The Village of Peotone sold its water and wastewater systems to Aqua Illinois in October 2018 for $12 million. The acquisition affected nearly 3,000 new customer connections. After numerous delays, Aqua transitioned Peotone to Kankakee River water last fall, and so far, residents’ biggest complaints have been over escalating water bills.
Van Mill, meanwhile, explained the current alert. “Due to high levels of nitrates from the Kankakee River, Aqua Illinois has issued a drinking water alert for customers with infants served by our Kankakee Water Treatment Plant, including cities of Kankakee, Peotone and University Park,” she said.
“Recent water samples show elevated levels of nitrates, which may be harmful to infants under six months. Adults and children older than 6 months old may still drink the water,” she emphasized.
“However, if you are pregnant or have specific health concerns, you may wish to consult your doctor.
“Aqua Illinois has never before experienced a nitrate exceedance at our Kankakee Water Treatment Plant. It is our assessment that spring agricultural fertilization and recent rains caused elevated nitrate levels in the river. Because of the unprecedented nature of this incident, we will be providing bottled water to certain high-risk customers in the impacted service area.”
Van Mill could not predict when the water alert would be cancelled.
“We don’t have an exact timeline,” she said, “as we will need to continue to assess the conditions of the river.
“We are actively monitoring nitrate levels from the river and will continue to provide updates as quickly as possible. We will alert customers when they can resume normal use of their water.”
Bottled water will be available for families with infants from noon to 7 p.m. throughout the rest of the event. Water will be available at three locations:
1000 S. Schuyler Ave., Kankakee,
1737 E. Amberstone Road, Manteno,
24650 S. Western Ave., University Park
For more information, residents can contact Aqua customer service at 877-987-2782.
Karen Haave is a freelance reporter.