[Reprinted from the Northbrook Tower online]
Time Lines: Northbrook still enviable for its Lake Michigan water line
Time Lines: Northbrook still enviable for its Lake Michigan water line
by Judy Hughes, Northbrook Historical Society
October 23, 2013
In many ways, Northbrook was forever changed because of a dream that began more than a half-century ago.
The Sept.14, 1963, culmination of this monumental achievement passed unnoticed by most, but it's still well worth acknowledging the virtual miracle that occurred because of citizen involvement and a desire to improve our Village.
To understand the significance of this event, let's go back to the beginning for the story of how Shermerville -- and later Northbrook -- residents got their water.
From 1901, when the Village was first incorporated, until 1916, the only sources for water were from rain, individual wells, cisterns and the river. For example, the Northfield Inn -- now the site of the Northbrook History Museum -- relied on a cistern and rain collection system to provide gravity-fed water for faucets and indoor plumbing when a bathroom was aadded in 1906
In 1916, Shermerville residents were taxed to build sewer and water distribution systems, including a deep well. Eventually, in 1928, the Village — which had been renamed Northbrook in 1923 — began purchasing water from the Village of Glencoe. In 1941, with a connecting valve to a 1,500-foot-deep well on the Culligan property at Lorenz Drive and Walters Avenue, the Village had a backup system if for any reason Glencoe was unable to supply water to Northbrook. This system proved its worth in 1949, when a major break occurred in the main Glencoe-to-Northbrook supply line.
The growing populations of both villages in the early 1950s put a strain on Glencoe's ability to supply water for its own residents along with the rapidly growing Village of Northbrook. In 1953, Northbrook contracted to build a 500,000-gallon elevated water storage tank to alleviate low pressure in the distribution system. In 1957, the Village constructed a re-chlorination and booster pump station at Dundee and Shermer to help improve distribution.
But even with these improvements, it was clear that something more had to be done. The Glencoe water plant was nearing production capacity, which meant that both communities were grappling with a water crisis. Options included expanding the Glencoe plant or building a separate water treatment plant to serve only Northbrook.
Northbrook Village trustees undertook a comprehensive study of the water system in 1958. By October 1960, both the consultant's report and the primary engineering report confirmed the feasibility of the Village building its own water filtration plant, which could deliver water to the Village at a lower cost than an expanded system in Glencoe could.
In July 1961, the board formed a 27-member Citizen's Water Committee to "look over the shoulder of the Village Board ... as they worked to find a solution to the water problem." Endless hours of fact-finding, study and debate culminated in an October report stating in part, "The Citizen's Water Committee endorses the recommendations of the Water Committee of the Village Board to proceed with action necessary to provide a water plant for Northbrook."
But even with these improvements, it was clear that something more had to be done. The Glencoe water plant was nearing production capacity, which meant that both communities were grappling with a water crisis. Options included expanding the Glencoe plant or building a separate water treatment plant to serve only Northbrook.
Northbrook Village trustees undertook a comprehensive study of the water system in 1958. By October 1960, both the consultant's report and the primary engineering report confirmed the feasibility of the Village building its own water filtration plant, which could deliver water to the Village at a lower cost than an expanded system in Glencoe could.
In July 1961, the board formed a 27-member Citizen's Water Committee to "look over the shoulder of the Village Board ... as they worked to find a solution to the water problem." Endless hours of fact-finding, study and debate culminated in an October report stating in part, "The Citizen's Water Committee endorses the recommendations of the Water Committee of the Village Board to proceed with action necessary to provide a water plant for Northbrook."
Once the decision to build — and thereby become the only offshore municipality with direct access to Lake Michigan water — was made, the Village got to work to make it happen. By the end of December 1961, engineers were hired. The riparian agreement to build the lake pumping station and easements to run the pipe line through their property were obtained from North Shore Congregation Israel in March 1962. And by October 1962, the contractor's winning bid was accepted, and $2.33 million in revenue bonds were bid and sold.
Despite a severe winter, water production began just 10 months after the beginning of construction. Village president Bertram Pollak wrote an introductory letter in the brochure sent to Northbrook residents when the facility went online on Sept. 14, 1963. He wrote, in part, "The final chapter of the construction of the pipeline into the lake, the land acquisition and building of the pump house on the lake shore, the bringing of the water transmission line nearly three miles to our filtration plant on Dundee Road and the financing of the entire project was one of frustration, pleasure and satisfaction and untold hours of exhaustive work and extra-ordinary talents freely given."
Village Trustee Mark S. Dalin, who chaired the board's Water Committee, was singled out for special commendation by Pollak. When Dalin died a few years after the project's completion, the board passed a resolution honoring him and the work he did for the residents of Northbrook by naming the water plant The Mark S. Dalin Memorial Water Filtration Plant.
As the Village grew, so did the water distribution system. High-lift pumps and a west-side reservoir came online as the Village limits moved in that direction. The first addition to the lakefront pumping station in 1973 and a 1974 addition to the filtration plant were completed to meet demands of the growing community. In 1993, a 30-inch raw water transmission line, pump station and 48-inch intake system with zebra mussel control capabilities were successfully put into service.
The following year, a new addition to the water plant and related improvements were put online to increase pumping capability to 20 million gallons per day. A second and larger water tower located near Huehl Road was the most recent addition to the water transmission system.
The audacity of the dream and bringing that dream to fruition also sealed Northbrook's ability to control development. That's because any developments requesting to hook up to the Village water system were required to adhere to Village codes, which were stricter than county codes and, thus, helped the Village control its own destiny.
This achievement emerged as a keystone in the longstanding Northbrook tradition of citizen involvement, and it remains something from which all Village residents benefit today. Fifty years later, Northbrook still is in the enviable position of being the only offshore community drawing its water directly from Lake Michigan.
Time Lines is a monthly column submitted by members of the Northbrook Historical Society.
Despite a severe winter, water production began just 10 months after the beginning of construction. Village president Bertram Pollak wrote an introductory letter in the brochure sent to Northbrook residents when the facility went online on Sept. 14, 1963. He wrote, in part, "The final chapter of the construction of the pipeline into the lake, the land acquisition and building of the pump house on the lake shore, the bringing of the water transmission line nearly three miles to our filtration plant on Dundee Road and the financing of the entire project was one of frustration, pleasure and satisfaction and untold hours of exhaustive work and extra-ordinary talents freely given."
Village Trustee Mark S. Dalin, who chaired the board's Water Committee, was singled out for special commendation by Pollak. When Dalin died a few years after the project's completion, the board passed a resolution honoring him and the work he did for the residents of Northbrook by naming the water plant The Mark S. Dalin Memorial Water Filtration Plant.
As the Village grew, so did the water distribution system. High-lift pumps and a west-side reservoir came online as the Village limits moved in that direction. The first addition to the lakefront pumping station in 1973 and a 1974 addition to the filtration plant were completed to meet demands of the growing community. In 1993, a 30-inch raw water transmission line, pump station and 48-inch intake system with zebra mussel control capabilities were successfully put into service.
The following year, a new addition to the water plant and related improvements were put online to increase pumping capability to 20 million gallons per day. A second and larger water tower located near Huehl Road was the most recent addition to the water transmission system.
The audacity of the dream and bringing that dream to fruition also sealed Northbrook's ability to control development. That's because any developments requesting to hook up to the Village water system were required to adhere to Village codes, which were stricter than county codes and, thus, helped the Village control its own destiny.
This achievement emerged as a keystone in the longstanding Northbrook tradition of citizen involvement, and it remains something from which all Village residents benefit today. Fifty years later, Northbrook still is in the enviable position of being the only offshore community drawing its water directly from Lake Michigan.
Time Lines is a monthly column submitted by members of the Northbrook Historical Society.
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