Hawthorn Woods, IL Water Upgrades Move Ahead as Lake Michigan Plan Remains Preliminary
Lake County is advancing water-system reliability work for the Glennshire area of Hawthorn Woods, but the planning does not represent an approved switch to Lake Michigan water.
The county’s work has two related tracks: reliability improvements for the Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire and Forest Lake systems, and a separate preliminary plan to connect those systems to Lake Michigan water through the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency, or CLCJAWA.
Who is affected
The project does not cover every Hawthorn Woods household. Lake County Public Works says the Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire and Forest Lake water systems serve approximately 300 residences in parts of the Village of Hawthorn Woods and the Forest Lake community in unincorporated Ela Township.
Those customers currently receive water purchased from Aqua Illinois through Lake County Public Works systems. Other Hawthorn Woods residents may receive water through different arrangements and should not assume they are part of this service area.
Meter-pit work focuses on reliability
The county’s meter-pit rehabilitation project covers three existing pits along Old McHenry Road. The listed locations are the northeast corner of Old McHenry Road and Lagoon Drive in Hawthorn Woods, the northwest corner of Old McHenry Road and Circle Drive in Hawthorn Woods, and the southeast corner of Old McHenry Road and Melody Lane in Forest Lake.
The project description calls for new electrical services and sump pumps at the three pits to improve system reliability. Those upgrades are intended to strengthen operation and maintenance of the existing systems. They do not immediately change the water source delivered to homes.
Lake County’s current Capital Improvement Program lists the meter-pit rehabilitation in the construction phase. That phase means the county has placed the work on its construction project list; it does not by itself establish a public completion date in 2026.
Lake Michigan connection remains preliminary
Separately, Lake County is studying an interconnection that could bring Lake Michigan water to the Countryside Lake, Forest Lake and Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire subdivisions through CLCJAWA. The county says Forest Lake and Hawthorn Woods/Glennshire currently receive water from Aqua Illinois, while Countryside Lake uses local wells.
In a March 3, 2026 update, Lake County said its completed resilience study found that a Lake Michigan connection is feasible and could provide a more reliable source. The county’s project page says engineering remains preliminary, the project is still in the early stages of information gathering, no final decision has been made and a construction funding source is needed.
For Glennshire-area customers, that means the proposed connection should not be treated as an approved or active conversion to Lake Michigan water. The current supply arrangement remains in place while the county evaluates design alternatives, financing and system needs.
Cost and schedule depend on funding
Lake County’s 2026 capital-priorities materials identify the broader phased resiliency project at approximately $12 million. The materials also identify a $1 million federal Community Project Funding award and a target construction year of 2027, with design and construction funding still pending.
The 2027 target is not a guaranteed construction date. It depends on design readiness, additional funding and later project decisions. The county’s Capital Improvement Program places the Lake Michigan interconnection and the resiliency study in the planning phase, while listing the meter-pit rehabilitation in the construction phase.
What residents should watch
The near-term goal for affected residents is better reliability and maintenance capacity, including fewer or shorter interruptions if the improvements perform as intended. Residents should not expect an immediate household water-source change based on the current planning.
Future milestones include more detailed design information, decisions about construction funding and opportunities for public feedback. Lake County identifies Noah Brown as the project contact. The March 3 county update lists him at 847-377-7145; the project pages also list Lake County Public Works at 847-377-7500.
Sources
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