Preserving Chicago Southland's
History Through Research & Education
The Future of University Park Post Crisis
Facing possible long-term health effects from lead poisoning, higher water bills, and a water system they don’t trust, the future of University Park’s residents and their drinking water is murky. So, what is likely to happen next? Since the switch to the Kankakee River, residents have faced a host ofpotential water contaminants. New legal battles over Aqua’s responsibilities to residents got underway in 2025. And since the 2024 rate hikes,residents have faced significantly higher water bills.
Residents are now acutely aware of the environmental factors affecting water quality. One important contaminant is nitrate fertilizer runoff from corn and soybean fields. Excessive runoff from overuse by farms can lead to recurring problems for the river. The rainfall sweeps chemicals from fields into the Kankakee River and into the water system, which can begin to dissolve the protective calcium coating on the inside of pipes and cause corrosion, resulting in rising lead levels once again. Another common problem are winter ice melts that drag along the bottom of the river and bring pollutants trapped at the bottom to the surface. These factors are outside of Aqua Illinois’ control. It is likely that both residents and the company could agree to attempt to stop in the case of regulating overuse of nitrate fertilizer application in agricultural fields, which would benefit the state’s waterways and the people who depend on them.
​
Whose Water Is It?
The issue of the water supply is also hotly debated today. The Mayor of University Park has publicly stated his desire to have Aqua sell the water rights back to the city. While this sounds good in theory there are a few problems. The city never originally owned water rights and the cost to citizens would be tremendous. The cost is a major issue, as maintaining the infrastructure needed to keep the water clean might be one the citizens are not able to pay out of
pocket just yet. The debate over what will happen regarding the water rights appears to be settled in Aqua’s favor unless the company decides to divest.
The water source itself has been an issue that may come up later. The water in University Park came from underground aquifers that generally were less susceptible to pollution than surface water sources like the Kankakee River. Issues began with lead shortly after Aqua Illinois switched to the Kankakee, but going back to aquifers is not a simple fix. Local aquifers may be depleted quickly (as some in western Will County appear to be facing), and the wells in University Park are currently inactive or unusable. Better maintenance of the river is one solution, but the other is a costly venture to secure water from Lake Michigan. While these options will have to be presented and discussed, getting into details such as costs and logistics could create another headache for the village.
The More Things Change
Aqua Illinois is also in the process of replacing pipes for the city’s water, but this can have its own problems. While the pipes will be made of different material, the caps and fitters on the pipes can still rust and leach lead into the water. A statement from Aqua addresses the fact that lead pipes inside homes will not be covered so their warning is this: it will not entirely reduce chances of lead levels in the water to zero. That will be left up to residents,increasing the costs they will continue to pay for Aqua’s switch to the Kankakee River.
What happens in the coming years with University Park and Aqua Illinois will continue to be important. The source of water will be a topic of discussion now, as the quality of water will forever remain in question so long as Aqua Illinois has their brand on the pipes that carry it. While the possibility that residents will have their day in court will no doubt answer some of those questions, other threats still loom. Water bills continue to climb and many residents have
lost trust in their water supplier and the local and state governments that are supposed to protect their interests.