Five towns refile water system lawsuit
“The communities that are seeking to take over American Lake Water pipelines have refiled their eminent domain lawsuit, after it was withdrawn this spring to address a legal technicalty.
Homer Glen, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Lemont and Woodridge continue their efforts to take over the privately owned pipeline that runs from Bedford Park, believing they can stabilize their water rates.
The lawsuit, initially filed in January 2013, listed only the Northern Will County Water Agency as the plaintiff and American Lake Water as the defendant.
That suit was withdrawn, and a new one filed last Monday in Will County — listing the water agency and its five towns as plaintiffs and adding as defendants Illinois American Water, a company subsidiary that operates the local water systems, and many railroads and property owners along the pipeline, according to court records.
Each municipality and the water agency board had to pass a resolution to pursue eminent domain, a legal power that gives a government the ability to seize land for the public good.
American Lake Water was “looking for a technicality, and now it’s been fixed” by adding plaintiffs and defendants, Homer Glen Mayor Jim Daley said.”
Lafferty, Susan Demar. Southtown Star 13 June 2013.