Hawthorn Woods water system included in Lake County’s $1 million Lake Michigan project
A Lake County water-infrastructure project that includes the Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire system has received a $1 million federal earmark for a planned connection to Lake Michigan water.
Lake County announced the funding on Feb. 9, 2026, as part of more than $3 million in federal funding for county infrastructure and housing projects. The water project would combine the Countryside Lake, Forest Lake and Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire water systems and connect them to Lake Michigan water.
For residents of Hawthorn Woods and the surrounding Glennshire system, the project is aimed at creating a new water source and strengthening the system’s long-term supply capability. County materials describe the expected benefits in terms of improved capability, resiliency and environmental sustainability.
Project remains in planning and design
The funding designation does not mean construction has begun. Lake County’s capital-priorities materials list preliminary engineering as begun and identify final engineering and design funding as additional project steps. The county’s Capital Improvement Program lists the Lake Michigan water interconnection as an active project.
County capital materials list 2026 as the target construction year. That is a planning target, not a final construction start date. The available project information does not establish when construction will actually begin.
The planned interconnection involves three systems: Countryside Lake, Forest Lake and Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire. The project’s stated purpose is to improve the systems’ water-supply capability while adding resilience and supporting environmental sustainability.
Costs and customer effects are not yet settled
The $1 million figure is the federal earmark for the Lake Michigan water connection. Lake County’s announcement separately describes more than $3 million in federal funding for county infrastructure and housing projects overall. The available materials do not provide a final total project cost.
They also do not say whether Hawthorn Woods customers will see a direct change in water rates. Any customer-cost effect remains to be established as the project moves through engineering, design and later construction decisions.
The next known steps are the remaining engineering and design work identified in the county’s capital-priorities materials. Until those steps advance, the construction target, final cost and practical effect on local water bills remain preliminary.
Sources
- $3 Million Earmarked Towards Lake County Public Works Infrastructure as Part of New Legislation, Lake County, Illinois
- Capital Improvement Program, Lake County, Illinois
- Lake County Capital Priorities Booklet, Lake County, Illinois
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