The long-awaited Wauconda-Volo drinking water project has moved a significant step forward as Wauconda officials approved a pair of agreements early this month at the village hall.
The agreements were about detailed payments, required fees and other costs of components of the project which Wauconda administrator Doug Maxeiner explained to trustees before the vote. The board members accepted the contract in a unanimous vote, reports Dailyherald.com.
“This is a historic night in Wauconda,” said trustee Linda Starkey. The neighboring village of Volo has partnered with Wauconda, which has to join Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency for the project to bring drinking water from Lake Michigan to the villages.
After this approval, further approvals are required from Volo trustees, CLCJAWA board and the municipal boards that the agency represents. The water agency can vote on Oct. 22, and individual board-members may vote by early December, Maxeiner said. He called the magnitude and scope of the project “unprecedented for the village.”
If Wauconda join CLCJAWA, an engineering study to select pipe route will follow. The project is expected to start in 2016 and be finished by summer 2018, according to officials.
If the plan succeeds, it will increase the water bill by $43 for a general village home, said officials.
“We have worked diligently together on this project for a long time, and I believe it’s a win-win for all involved,” said Wauconda trustee Lincoln Knight. “Wauconda will soon be able to have a clean, sustainable water source that will benefit everyone.”
