The Village’s water treatment plant and distribution system provides over 3,000 Glencoe households, businesses and public entities with filtered water on a daily basis. However, the current plant is over 90 years old and our distribution system infrastructure requires on-going repair and maintenance. In order to continue to provide safe, clean and sustainable drinking water of the highest standards to Glencoe residents, the Village is evaluating several potential options for supplying and delivering drinking water.
To identify the best path forward for the system overall, the Village worked with outside consultants to conduct the Water Distribution System Plan in 2016 and the Water Supply Planning Report in 2015. The Village is already using the Water Distribution System Plan to prioritize projects as part of our
10-Year Community Improvement Program. In 2020 for example, it helped staff to prioritize the installation of new water meters in every household and business in the Village, representing an estimated $2.5 million investment into the system.
Learn more about about the Water Meter Replacement Program here.
Next steps: In April 2019, the Village partnered with the Village of Winnetka to hire a consultant to supplement the Water Supply Planning Report. The supplemental analysis, due back to the Village in summer 2021, will help determine the feasibility of potential partnership opportunities in the future. We look forward to discussing these opportunities with the community, ultimately with the goal of ensuring that the water delivered to our customers remains the highest quality possible.
Please subscribe to Village eNews to stay connected on this topic. E-mail questions or comments to
waterplant@villageofglencoe.org or reach out to the Village Manager's Office at
(847) 835-4114.
View the Water Distribution System Plan | View the 10-Year Community Improvement Program
The Water Distribution System Plan, developed by Strand Associates, establishes a timeline for maintaining the Village's water distribution infrastructure (water mains, the water tower, the fire hydrants). This plan helps the Village prioritize capital projects based on factors such as age and cost. This list of projects is then added into the 10-Year Community Improvement Program (CIP).
View the Water Supply Planning Report | Water Study Quick Facts
The Water Supply Planning Report was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of various options for the Water Treatment Plant moving forward−such as moving and rebuilding, renovating or closing the plant completely in favor of consolidating with another plant.
In 2015, the engineering firm Strand Associates conducted a feasibility study of these options which were presented to the Village Board and the subject of three public open houses/community forums.
Evaluation ConsiderationsBased on Village Board and public input, staff enlisted the help of Strand Associates in evaluating the following:
- Potential costs and viability of the potential options outlined in the water supply planning study
- Potential location of a new water plant and the status of the Village’s current plant
- Technology used for water filtration
- Potential partnership opportunities with other communities to purchase water
- Potential partnership opportunity with the Northwest Water Commission to provide a redundant water supply
Water Supply Options Under ReviewThe Village continues to evaluate many potential options. Click the links below to learn more about each option.
Use the documents and links below to learn more about the Master Plan process thus far.
Master Plan Overview