Davida Colquitt, a resident of University Park, shows some frustration June 20, 2019, as workers from Aqua Illinois dispense drinking water to her containers at the Community Center in University Park. A utility watchdog and University Park officials are challenging a proposed increase by Aqua Illinois in water and sewer rates, with the village saying more needs to be done to help residents affected by high levels of lead in drinking water.
In testimony before the Illinois Commerce Commission, which is considering the proposed rate increase, University Park village manager Elizabeth Scott asked that Aqua fully reimburse residents for fixing or replacing lead solder in water service lines and plumbing fixtures inside homes. Scott told the commission about 2,000 customers of Aqua in her village suffered direct or indirect damages as a a result of the elevated lead levels.
Aqua switched its water source to the Kankakee River and began adding a blended phosphate mix to the public water system to improve taste, according to the lawsuit. The change, the lawsuit alleges, is believed to have caused a chemical reaction that removed a protective layer in residential plumbing, causing elevated lead levels.
Aqua changed how water drawn from the river was treated to eliminate the chemical reaction that caused lead to be dislodged.
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