Large pipes, deep holes and road closures in Evanston and Skokie illustrate what some neighbors are dealing with regualrly because of neighboring suburbs buying water from the North Shore suburb.
Eight miles of new pipe is putting dozens of homes in the middle of a construction zone.
"They do start pretty early in the morning, I can hear the noise particularly on the weekends which is a little intrusive," resident Jonathan Stern.
Stern supports the year-long project, though it offers no real benefit to him--but to his western neighbors in Niles and Morton Grove.
“Now what we’re going to have is stable rates based on a formula from Evanston,” Niles' Village Manager Steven Vinezeano said.
The two suburbs currently get water from Chicago, but are fed up with the rising rates.
Connecting to Evanston’s supply is a long-term solution--one that's projected to save Niles and Morton Grove thousands of dollars per day.
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“They’ve taken a substantial risk in meeting an objective of lower water bills for their communities,” said Bill Balling, superintendent of the Niles and Morton Grove Water Commission.
Though right now, an eyesore and inconvenience, leaders are confident the $96 million project will pay off.
"We think the long range benefit is compelling for everybody that we pass but the inconvenience is something we appreciate and we try to respond to quickly," Balling said.
Construction should wrap up by the end of the year.
