By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
According to a release received from the City of Elmhurst, the City and Illinois American Water Commission (IAWC) recently agreed to settle and resolve a lawsuit between the two parties. The agreement provides for IAWC to undertake certain inflow and infiltration (I/I) mitigation work for the Country Club District sanitary sewer system located partially in Elmhurst and part in unincorporated DuPage County.
The dispute stemmed from the City billing IAWC for excess sewer charge. Based on a 1975 agreement between IAWC and the City, the parties have an agreed upon the number of gallons per day of stormwater that can overflow into the City’s system. That agreement was intended to serve as an incentive for IAWC to keep their flows down and to maintain their system as needed to prevent excessive flows.
“The City believes this settlement agreement is in the best interest of the City, its residents and IAWC customers in Country Club District to reduce I/I and mitigate excessive sewage flows,” said Mayor Scott Levin. “The City hopes to continue to work cooperatively with IAWC in the future.”
The settlement agreement includes provisions for IAWC to pay back the charges they incurred, to correct their system, and provides them the time to do so without penalty, if the work is completed as defined in the agreement.
