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1. Production & Treatment is responsible for what services?

Services to the public include the sampling of the potable water supply to satisfy the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. This sampling involves various bacteriological, mineral, metal, and organics sampling of the public water supply. 

The Division is also responsible for receiving and treating Lake Michigan water from the DuPage Water Commission, then repumping that water to the Elmhurst water distribution system to satisfy the demands and maintain system pressures. 

The Division is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of eight (8) stormwater pumping stations and five (5) retention reservoirs. This involves equipment and facilities capable of pumping in excess of 550 million gallons per day of stormwater either directly to Salt Creek or to various water retention reservoirs located throughout the City. The tasks of the division also include overseeing and design of the upgrades to the storm water pumping system as outlined by the goals set after the 1987 flooding. 

The Division responsibilities continue with the operation and maintenance of the sanitary lift stations and Wastewater Treatment Plant. The City operates ten (10)  sanitary lift stations to collect and convey wastewater from various areas within the City and transport it to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Plant itself has a capability of pumping 79 million gallons per day and is operated under a permit from the Illinois EPA. The permit places restrictions on the plant and requires a level of quality for the treated wastewater before it is discharged to Salt Creek.

2. How many people work in this division?

Currently, the department has 16 full-time and 1 part-time employee covering 1 shift 7 days a week. The public water supply is monitored continuously by a SCADA computer controlled supervisory system, which both monitors and operates various aspects of the public water supply. This SCADA system is capable of responding to changes in demand within the system adjusting chemical feeds and alerting operations staff when conditions may change causing an operational problem within the system. The SCADA computer controlled system had been expanded for the monitoring of the storm, water pumping and sanitary water pumping responsibilities within the division.

3. How is the division regulated?

The Division is regulated by several USEPA and Illinois EPA regulations in both the potable water supply and the wastewater treatment arenas. Illinois EPA in conjunction with Illinois Department of Public Health monitor the quality of water sold to the customers of Elmhurst. The Division is responsible for a variety of water quality tests that are performed on an almost daily basis with results sent to Illinois EPA monthly. The Wastewater Treatment Plant is also regulated by Illinois EPA and USEPA and is monitored closely by both onsite inspections and regular monthly reports on the quality of waters discharged to Salt Creek and by-products of the wastewater treatment process.

4. What are the capabilities of the individual systems at Elmhurst?

The annual average quantity of potable water produced to the system is approximately 4.9 million gallons per day. Minimum daily water produced had been as low as 3.9 million gallons per day. The maximum daily potable water produced had been as high as 9.9 million gallons per day. The Division is capable of pumping over 20 million gallons per day to the water distribution system. 

The Wastewater Treatment Plant treats an average of 7.5 million gallons of wastewater per day. Historical high flows have been as high as 79 million gallons per day when the City experiences rain and snow runoff simultaneously.

5. What is the source of water for the public water supply?

Elmhurst has been 100 percent on Lake Michigan water since October 1991. The DuPage Water Commission has recently completed upgrades to their distribution system to their customers of which we are one of them.