Document gbxzrpDKdV25OqkzbjdXoJnaV

-4- The County and a2. 1 municipalities and Sanitary districts have authority to con:: truet., accuire, and operate sewage fcreat- ment facilities (111. nev :tat.", ch. 24, 11-141-2 ('Municipalities); cii. n b 3111 (counties); ch. 42, 306, 306.1 (sanitary di.-tri els). All have the power of condemnation without regard for :.iun icipal or sanitary district boundaries (ch. 24, 11-141-2; c h. 34, 3110; ch. 42, i 307). Municipalities and sari It ary districts may accept and treat sewage fro:;: outside tb eir boundaries (ch. 24, 11-146-1; ch. 42, 316); may contract v? ith one another, if adjacent, for the common construction or use of facilities (ch. 24, 11-147-1); and may contract for t he county to provide sewage treatment, the local government oayin g its share of costs (ch. 24, 11-147-4; ch. 34,'S' 33 31). All these governments have authority to raise funds by revenue and general obligation bonds, by user and connection charges , by general taxation, and by special assessment under the n Constitution effective July 1 (R. 168). The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, after extcrisiv study, has adopted a Regional V.'a,stewater Plan for the Chicago metropolitan area. This plan, endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency at cur hearings (A. 149), contemplates a nine-plant system consisting of the existing plants operated oy tilon .-,.1 uyrs r.r.c V.'esv. Chi cage u:iv. by the Wii--atvn s: id II1 ri.via Ic. Sanitary Districts; 0. consolidation of the existing Elmhurst and .'alt Creek Sanitary District plants; and new plants at Naperville, Woodridge, and (two) in the Addison-w'codridge area (See II'C, Regional wastewater Plan, adopted .'larch , 1971; R* 59-61, 63-64). This plan appears, on the basis of the evidence so far before us, to be an entirely reasonable means of eliminating the present problem. In the absence of contrary evidence, we think it should be carried out at once. Vie could draft regulations prescribing exactly which government is to build which plant. It would appear sensible, if nothing better can be worked out in a reasonable time, that the Wheaton and Hinsdale Sanitary Districts and Elmhurst, Gler. Ellyn, and West Chicago each take responsibility for treatment in its region, since they are operators of existing plants that are to be expanded to become parts of the new plan, and that the County build the new plants. Or we could order every one else to contract for the County to supply service every where. V/e shall not hesitate to order just this if the parties and the legislature cannot agree on a better institutional frame work such as a single county-wide district as suggested aoove. But v.e propose to allow six months for such a framework to be ci'oated before doir.g sc. Consequently the present proposal is to require the implementation of the HIPC plan by January, 1975, allowing six months for a resolution of the administrative