We want to clarify information about the City’s water supply capacity following a recent news article. We want to assure our residents and businesses that the City has enough water to meet your daily needs.
The article refers to a projected 500,000-gallon-per day shortfall. This estimate does not refer to the City’s current water supply capacity. The estimate refers to a long-term planning requirement from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to ensure communities have adequate water capacity even under peak demand and extreme conditions.
The City has proactively planned and invested in its water system for decades and remains committed to maintaining a safe, reliable, and stable water supply for residents and businesses now and in the future.
What does the projected 500,000 gallon-per-day deficiency actually mean?
The City has sufficient water capacity to meet the community’s daily water needs for the next 20+ years. However, planning projections show that maximum daily demand could exceed current available capacity by approximately 500,000 gallons per day under peak demand and extreme conditions.
Maximum daily demand is a planning standard established by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The standard requires communities to demonstrate the ability to meet extremely high water usage demands in a scenario where the City’s largest well is out of service.
The City currently supplies approximately 6.9 million gallons of water per day on average to residents and businesses. The projected 500,000-gallon-per day shortfall represents planning for extreme peak-demand scenarios, not a current inability to meet the community’s everyday water needs.
A maximum daily demand deficiency does not mean St. Charles has a water shortage.
Maximum daily demand is a planning standard established by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The standard requires communities to demonstrate the ability to meet extremely high water usage demands in a scenario where the City’s largest well is out of service.
So while the City has enough supply capacity to meet typical day-to-day water needs over the long term, we are required to identify improvements to address projected peak demand under extreme conditions.
The estimate reflects infrastructure planning requirements, not a current inability to provide sufficient water service to residents and businesses.
What is the City doing to meet the maximum daily demand standard?
The City has been proactively planning for the long-term reliability of its water system for decades. The latest Water Utility Master Plan, updated in 2024, identified several strategies and infrastructure improvements designed to ensure the City can continue meeting future maximum daily water demand requirements:
- Well #7 & #13 (Oak Street) combination project is completed.
- Drilling a deep well near Well # 8 (Ohio Avenue) currently is under construction and is expected to be completed in 2027.
- City Council recently approved a project to identify and drill a new shallow aquifer well source.
Does the City’s water planning include new developments in the future?
Yes. The City’s Water Utility Master Plan addresses water quality and quantity through a 20-year period and includes projected residential, commercial, and industrial growth. The plan provides a roadmap for the water distribution system, supply, treatment, and storage infrastructure needed to support future growth and usage. Review the latest plan here.
How Is the City’s Water System Designed to Meet Demand?
The City supplies approximately 6.9 million gallons of water each day through an extensive system that includes:
- 7 wells
- 3 water treatment facilities
- a 300,000-gallon water tower
- a 1.5-million-gallon water tower
- a 1-million-gallon water tower
- Several ground storage reservoirs with booster stations
This infrastructure helps ensure reliable water service, system redundancy, and adequate storage capacity for St. Charles’ water needs.