$1.00
Breaking news at Daily-Chronicle.com
Serving DeKalb County since 1879
Monday, August 18, 2014
DeKALB PARK DISTRICT • LOCAL, A3
BOYS, GIRLS GOLF • SPORTS, B1
Playground equipment to move to parks where it is wanted
DeKalb athletes shoot for state berths later this year
DeKalb’s Maggie Russell
Questions City’s study to look abound at aging water mains for ballots on Nov. 4 DeKALB CONSIDERS INFRASTRUCTURE
Illinois voters to weigh in on variety of topics By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com
Photos by Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Bryan Faivre, assistant director of Public Works for the water division, tests the water for phosphate Aug. 8 at the Dresser Road Water Treatment Plant in DeKalb.
Some pipes date back more than 100 years By JESSI HAISH jhaish@shawmedia.com DeKALB – DeKalb’s water mains chart the growth of the city, spreading out like roots as the population grew. The oldest water mains, found near downtown and under roads paved with brick, date back to the city’s incorporation more than 100 years ago. Newer areas have newer mains, some built in the 1950s and ‘60s during an age of innovation with narrower pipes and fewer materials that have not stood well against the test of time. These various mains and their needs will all be analyzed during the city’s comprehensive study to look at the condition of its water systems later this year. “We have water mains that are 100 years old,” DeKalb Public Works Director T.J. Moore said. “That doesn’t necessarily make it bad, we just need to see how it interacts with everything else.” The study, which will be conducted by engineering firm Burns and McDonnell for $48,000, is also the first time the city will have a formal water rate study. Bryan Faivre, assistant director of public works, said the city’s equipment for its water systems needs to be looked at so the city can plan for any repairs or replacements in the future. Water rates will be looked at to see if they are sufficient to meet the needs of the population and take care of its cost, Faivre said. “The study will look at water rates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean water rates will go up,” Faivre said. In DeKalb, the typical person
‘‘
Faivre walks through the Dresser Road Water Treatment Plant on Aug. 8. DeKalb residents use 3.2 million gallons of water per day on average. The Dresser Road Water Treatment Plant is one of five treatment plants in DeKalb. uses 80 to 100 gallons of water a day, with the largest household use of water including flushing the toilet, then showers and baths. A typical family of four uses 26,000 to 30,000 gallons of water per three-month billing cycle. The cost is $3.10 per unit, which is 748 gallons of water, plus a $15 quarterly water service fee, according to the city’s annual water report. Faivre said the city’s five water treatment plants are considered fairly new but are aging. The city’s water system has a maximum pumping capacity of 12 million gallons a day, with an average daily demand of 3.32 million gallons a day, according to the city’s annual water report. To ensure the water’s quality, about 14,000 tests were
City of DeKalb water facts n City’s public water system serves 44,000 residents, including Northern Illinois University n Maximum pumping capacity: 12 million gallons a day n Average daily demand: 3.32 million gallons a day n Maximum storage capacity: 5.75 million gallons n Average used per person: 80-100 gallons a day n Family of four average: 26,000-30,000 gallons of water per three-month billing cycle n Water rate: $3.10 per unit (748 gallons) plus a $15 quarterly water service fee n In 2013, more than 13,000 water analyses were performed on drinking water n Information: Call 815-748-2050 or visit cityofdekalb.com
See INFRASTRUCTURE, page A3
Source: City of DeKalb 2014 Water Quality Report
“We have water mains that are 100 years old. That doesn’t necessarily make it bad, we just need to see how it interacts with everything else.”
T.J. Moore, DeKalb Public Works director
Fans of long, drawn-out novels will want to make sure they vote Nov. 4. The Illinois ballot will start with five questions that state lawmakers decided to put to voters. Two are proposed amendments to the Illinois Constitution, while three are advisory referendums that carry no weight of law. Put in perspective, the number of statewide questions on the ballot is more than the total of the past nine elections spanning 20 years. In Chicago, voters will face 10 questions because the Cook County Board and the Chicago City Council added two and three more advisory questions, respectively. The questions top an already crowded ballot in which voters will elect the governor and all statewide offices and representatives to federal, state and county governments. And it doesn’t count two citi-
zen-led petitions that judges have struck from the ballot. Supporters of the measures maintain that the questions are legitimate measures meant to protect equal rights and gauge public opinion. To opponents, they are nothing but gimmicks to boost Democratic voter turnout. Recent polls put Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Rauner ahead of Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn. The following is a summary of the questions already on the ballot. They could be joined by a sixth in the unlikely event that supporters of term limits prevail in their legal battle to get their disputed constitutional amendment added. • VICTIMS’ RIGHTS: This proposed amendment to Section 8.1 of the Illinois Bill of Rights would augment victims’ rights language that voters first approved in 1992. If approved, courts will be required to hear and rule on
See QUESTIONS, page A8
GOP newcomers: Lack of experience an asset in 2014 By SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press CHICAGO – A suburban accountant and a retired downstate Marine say their lack of political experience is actually a big asset in the race to unseat two of Illinois’ most prominent and longest-serving Democratic constitutional officers: Secretary of State Jesse White and Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Hoping to tap into an anti-incumbent mood come November, accountant and t a x a t t o r n e y Lisa Madigan Michael Web- State attorney ster hopes to general convince voters that not being a “career politician” and focusing on business issues will help him oust White, who is Illinois’ longest-serving secretary of state with four terms. Meanwhile, Paul Schimpf, a prosecutor and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, insists he’s not beholden to special interests and would fo-
cus more on anti-corruption efforts than consumer advocacy like Madigan, a three-term attorney general who’s earned praise nationwide for going after big banks and for-profit colleges over claims of fraudulent practices. The themes in the down-ballot races, detailed in Associated Press candidate questionnaires and interviews, have trickled down from the state’s highly watched governor’s race where Republican Bruce Rauner, a venture capitalist making his first Paul Schimpf bid for public office, is trying Republican to keep Demochallenger cratic Gov. Pat Quinn from winning a second full term. Webster and Schimpf recognized the tough road ahead: They don’t have established relationships with Illinois’ top leaders, nor name recognition or fundraising power. Schimpf had just $8,000 cash on hand
Weather
Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries
A2 A2-4 A4
National and world news Opinions Sports
See NEWCOMERS, page A8
A4 A9 B1-3
Advice Comics Classified
B4 B5 B6-8
High:
80
Low:
65