Show All Answers

1. Where does the water in the village come from?

The kitchen sink, that’s easy! It often feels that simple, but the water supply provided by the Village has somewhat of a more complicated route before you actually use it in your homes or businesses.

The Village of Romeoville draws its groundwater supply from 5 deep wells (pumping water from 900 - 1,200 ft. below the surface) and 7 shallow wells (pumping from 80 -200 ft. below the surface) located throughout the Village.

Once the raw water is pumped, chlorine is added for disinfection. This treated water is then transported to various storage tanks throughout the Village. Through a maze of mains, the water is then pumped to all areas of the Village. Feeding off the main line is each individual service line leading into your residence or business. A buffalo box is installed at the beginning of the service line just off the main which serves as the primary access to terminate and restore water service to an individual home. As the service line feeds into the home, there is a shut-off valve just prior to the water meter. This valve is owned and maintained by the resident and allow residents to terminate the supply of water feeding into the home when needed. 

The Village of Romeoville monitors the tank levels, pressures, and flow through a sophisticated program called SCADA. Levels in the storage tanks do not remain constant throughout the day. During the night and early morning hours, the tank levels are at their highest. As the usage throughout town increases, the tank levels decrease. This cycle allows constant pumping rates and minimizes the number of starts and stops on the pumping equipment.

2. How much water does the Village pump each day and year?

On average, the Village pumps around 4 million gallons per day and 1.5 billion gallons a year.

3. What is the hardness of my water?

Typically, the water in Romeoville ranges from 10 – 20 grains per gallon. (We are currently in the process of designing a new water treatment plant on the far northeast end of town where readings are still around 30 grains per gallon).

4. Is my water safe to drink?

The Village of Romeoville’s water is safe to use and consume. We consistently meet or exceed all EPA standards set for water quality. Lastly, the Village monitors its water system 24/7 365 days a year via a sophisticated SCADA system.

5. How often does the Village test the water?

The Village tests the water from various locations throughout the Village on a daily, monthly and yearly basis then reports this information to the IEPA. Information about those tests results can be reviewed in conjunction with our annual drinking water report located on our website as well.

6. What types of water treatment does the Village currently use?

• 5 Ion Exchange Softening Treatment Plants for Radium Removal
• 1 Iron Removal Facility
• 1 UV Treatment Facility

7. Does my water still contain radium?

In 2003, the Village chose Ion Exchange Treatment Softening as its preferred method to achieve compliance with the newly set radium standard of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Village has been 100% radium compliant since 2005 and consistently tests below the EPA standard of 5 picocuries per liter.

8. Does Romeoville water contain Lead?

The Village’s distribution system does NOT contain any lead service lines or water mains. Depending on the age of your home, there may be some amount of lead in your homes plumbing system. As a good practice, you should flush your taps for 1-2 minutes if the water in your home has been sitting for several hours.

9. Sometimes my water is discolored and tastes different. Why?

The Village’s water system has been in service for over 60 years. As a result, many of the older cast iron water mains contain a type of reddish-brown corrosion known as, tuberculation. While this corrosion is harmless, it can affect taste and color from time to time. The Village flushes its fire hydrants annually to help combat this problem and also has begun a yearly water main replacement program to remove these older pipes from our system.