ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September
15,
1976
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB
76—140
SYLVAN
LAKE WATER ASSOCIATION,
First Subdivision,
Respondent.
Mr. Steven
H.
Gunning appeared on behalf of Complainant.
Mr. Don McNamee appeared on behalf of Respondent.
OPINION
AND
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Mr. Goodman):
On
May
12,
1976,
the Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency)
filed
a Complaint against the Sylvan Lake First Subdivision Home-
owner’s Association alleging violation of Rule
305 of Chapter
6:
Public Water Supply Regulations.
A hearing was held on July
26,
1976,
at the Village Hall, Mundelein,
Illinois.
The association
was~notrepresented by counsel.
No citizen witnesses were present.
At
the hearing, the Complaint was amended to reflect
the correct
title of Respondent:
Sylvan Lake Water Association,
First Sub-
division
(Association)
The
Association
owns
and
operates
a public water supply serving
approx im~It(~Jy
64
fami,
i
cs
in
Sylvan
Lake
First
Subdivision,
near
the
Village
of
Mundelein,
Lake County,
Illinois.
The Associationts
public water supply consists of one drilled well,
two pressure
storage tanks and a distribution system.
23
—
497
—2—
Rule
305 requires public water supplies such as the one
in
question
to chlorinate the water before it enters
the distribution
system.
The
compliance date set by Rule
305
is December 21,
1975.
At the hearing,
the President of the Association acknowledged
that the Association had received notice prior to December 21,
1975
that
chlorination would be required by that date
(R.l0).
He testi-
fied that although a chlorination unit had been installed during
April,
1976,
the unit was not presently operable
(R.9).
The deci-
sion
to
install but not operate the chlorination unit had been
arrived at by a vote of the Association’s members and was based on
the members’ desire to retain the natural taste of the water
(R.9).
A Field Operations Engineer for the Agency testified that a precision
chemical feed pump and plastic solution tank had been installed but,
as of the week before the hearing, no solution was in the tank
(R.l7).
The Board
finds that the Association violated Rule
305 by fail-
ing to chlorinate its water by December
31,
1975.
In considering
the assessment of
a penalty, the Board must consider the factors
set out
in Section
33(c)
of the Environmental Protection Act
(Act).
An
employee of the Agency testified that the injury to the public
resulting from
a failure
to chlorinate
a public water supply
usually
occurs
in the distribution system.
However, no direct evidence c~
injury to the public was submitted in this case.
The economic an’~
social value of the system are apparent in that the system provides
water for approximately 64 families in the Sylvan Lake Subdivision.
The suitability of the source’s location is not
in issue.
Finally,
the technical feasibility and economic reasonableness of chlorina-
tion are evidenced by the fact that the chlorination unit had been
installed prior to the filing of the Complaint, but the Association
had elected not to operate the unit.
A brief submitted by the Associ-
ation after the hearing indicates that the Association met on July
31 and voted to begin chlorination on or about August
2,
1976.
The Board finds
that the Association’s deliberate delay
in
corn—
p1 ianoe warrants
the assessment
of
a penalLy
for the violation of
Rule
3O~ found
berei
n.
The
Association
was
informed
of
its
pubi
i
C
duty
Lo
sa 1ejuard
i Ls
Wa
Ler
Supply
,
but
apparently
decided
Lo
sub~t 1—
tute its own experience with regard
to that particular well and
distribution system over the experience and expertise behind the
regulations involved.
The regulations are based upon extensive ex-
perience throughout the State,
and their purpose
is to keep
all
public water supplies
in
a safe and sanitary condition.
The Board,
therefore, assesses
a penalty of $300.00.
This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions
of
law of the Board
in this matter.
23
—
498
—3—
ORDER
It
is the Order of the Pollution Control Board that:
1.
The Sylvan Lake Water Association, First Subdivision
is found to have violated Rule 305 of Chapter
8:
Public
Water
Supplies.
2.
For
said
violation,
the
Association
is
ordered
to
pay
a
penalty
of
$300.00,
payment
to
be
made
within
35
days
of
the
date
of
this
Order,
by
certified
check
or
money
order
to:
State
of
Illinois
Fiscal
Services
Division
Environmental
Protection
Agency
2200
Churchill
Road
Springfield,
Illinois
62706
3.
The Association shall cease and desist from said
violation.
I,
Christan
L. Moffett,
Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, ~reby
certify
the above Opi ion and Order were adopted on
the
/
~‘
day of
~
,
1976 by
a vote ~
Christan
L.
Moffett,
rk
Illinois Pollution
C
rol Board
23
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499