Those affected by water contamination issues in University Park between August 2018 and May 2019 will soon be entitled to compensation, after a federal judge on Wednesday approved a $12.5 million settlement agreement negotiated between the village and Aqua Illinois.
Current and former residents and business owners will soon be given the opportunity to submit claims to determine the amount they are owed from Aqua Illinois, which owns and operates the village’s existing water infrastructure.
Tom Zimmerman, whose office represented the class action lawsuit’s hundreds of plaintiffs, said the inconvenience of water pollution alone could result in $3,000 for those who submit a claim.
Those filing claims can ask for compensation to cover out-of-pocket expenses or lost wages, for example, that resulted from high levels of lead in the water supply first reported by Aqua in June 2019.
“Like if they bought bottled water, if they replaced the pipes in their homes,” Zimmerman said, which could elevate the claim to yield as much as $15,000.
Residents have also reported experiencing health issues as a result of lead contamination, and those who make personal injury claims could receive an extra $30,000, Zimmerman said. The $12.5 million settlement amount was calculated based on information Zimmerman’s office collected through surveys and interviews that found an estimated 12,000 people were harmed in some way by Aqua Illinois’ water quality issues.
“We weren’t going to agree to a number that would not be able to provide adequate relief,” Zimmerman said.
The village has fought for relief since Aqua Illinois received results of a routine sampling in June 2019 that showed high levels of lead in the water supply. While the company’s “do not consume” order lasted for a little over a month, a lead advisory for certain residents remained in place until July 2024, according to the settlement agreement.
Residents were warned again in June that infants under 6 months old should not use tap water, after testing showed elevated nitrate levels in drinking water systems. While that warning was lifted after only a few days, residents and business owners have remained wary of the water that comes from the Kankakee River.
“The fact remains, the residents and the people here, we do not trust this water,” University Park Village Trustee Gina Williams said Thursday. “We probably will never trust it, because there’s always been something going on with it.”
Aqua Illinois said in an emailed statement Thursday it is pleased to have reached an agreement to end the class action lawsuit and denies any wrongdoing related to past water issues.
“From the outset of the incident affecting the system, Aqua worked diligently to address the unprecedented circumstances that resulted in exceedances of the regulatory lead action level in certain homes due to the presence of lead in household plumbing,” the company said. “Through these efforts, Aqua has consistently met the lead action level for nearly 5 years.”
Consumer water rates and service will not change as a result of the settlement, the company stated.
Mayor Joseph Roudez said he only recently entered office when Aqua delivered the first do not consume order. He thanked residents “for their resilience, for their efforts to not just quit and pack up and leave,” he said.
“I’m a faith-bound person, and I asked the Lord when this happened — why me?” Roudez said. “Because you’re strong enough to deal with it. The Lord knew the storm was coming. He just made me the captain of the ship to ride it through.”
Roudez said he expects residents will begin receiving checks in early fall. Residents, former residents and businesses will receive letters with instructions to file a claim.
Williams said she’s hoping to help the village set up some type of office hours to assist people who need help with their claims.
“We all are just grateful that there is some light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
Roudez and Williams both said the village is working toward a long-term solution that would end their reliance on Aqua, which involves securing an estimated $100 million in federal assistance to develop new water infrastructure.
The village will receive $100,000 from the class action settlement, which Roudez said he hopes to put toward improving roads or other infrastructure
“It’s my job as mayor to ensure that every resident this community has has fair and equal access to opportunities, and I just want to ensure that they get all the services they deserve,” he said. “But also, I want to plant the seed for the next generation to come in and be very successful in this great community.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
