Vol. 17, No. 1 - Mar 1995'KISSING
ZONE
March 1995 Vol.17 No.1
APRIL 4TH 1S ELECTION DAY
The following local government offices will be on
the Tuesday, April 4th ballot:
Village: Three Trustees (4 year terms)
Library: Two Trustees (6 year terms)
Park District: Two Commissioners (4 year terms)
March 6th is the last day to register if you have not
already done so. Registration is done at the
Township Hall (located immediately north of the
Village Hall).
If you are going to be away from the Village -on
April 4th, you can vote absentee in person from
March 13th through April 3rd. This is also handled
at the West Deerfield Township Hall.
Absentee voting by mail (applications available at
Township Hall) is done through the Lake County
Clerk's office (telephone number 360-3610). Any
questions, call the Township at 945-8317 or the
Village Hall at 945 - 5000.
CAR E-A-THON '95
On Sunday, February 5th, the Caring For Others
Committee, Human Relations Commission and Cable
Advisory Board presented their fourth annual Care-
A-Thon on the local access Cable TV channel. The
donations are given to various local health and
human care agencies. The Village would like to
express .its pride and gratitude to everyone who
participated in this worthwhile community event.
ANNUAL BUDGET
Work is underway on the annual budget for the fiscal
year beginning May 1, 1995. Village staff will
present a proposed budget to the Mayor and Board of
•Trustees in early March. A public hearing will be
held on the document at the April 17th Village Board
meeting. Your comments and suggestions on projects
and services are welcome.
LEAD STANDARDS FOR WATER
This is the thir*�me t,'.1the
Village has publ shedl- the
notice, required, .a byr the
�Federal m'en t a I
. Protection Agency-;- regarding
lead standards for. ,d'riliking
water. Deerti,611 tpurchases
all of its water from:Hfig "land
Park-, and we continue to
17
work closelywith,. that
community in oid er to
comply with the.`tFederal
requirements..hrr'
In addition to the actual notice, we are respond ng to
the most commonly asked- questions concerningthis
issue.
SHOULD I BE WORRIED?
No. On the contrary, this Federal program is part of
anon-going,`intensified nationwide effort to reduce
the population's exposureao lead. There has.:been no
change in the quality .of.the- water which we provide.
you. "There` has been no" ne wily discovered health`
risk. What has changed is'the Federal government's
policy concerning lead.
For several years, health professionals have become
increasingly concerned,`about the :effects of lead in
our environment.- This resulted inthe elimination of
lead,solder'in food canning, the requirement of the
use*of unleaded gasoline and the'e1limi•nation.o'flead-
based paints.
As the lead exposure risk's from these high-level lead:
sources have been,.reduced, federal 'attention . has
turned to other, lows - level sources of lead exposure,
including; the ,nation's' water supply. �A zero -lead
exposure goal'has-been established for water supplies
(the actual: target level is lessthan 15, parts per billion
='PPi'=<in at least90:perc'ent of Homes).,
(co`ntinued• on nett page)
WHY ARE YOU PROVIDING ME WITH THIS
INFORMATION?
In 1986, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water
Act reauthorization bill which mandated stricter
regulation of lead in drinking water. The United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
published the rules which went into effect in 1993.
These set new lower limits for lead in water, require
water utilities to identify and monitor homes most
likely to experience elevated lead levels, inform the
consumers of the risks of lead exposure and add new
chemical treatment to reduce lead corrosion potential
when these limits are exceeded, and ultimately, to
replace some lead service lines where other measures
are unsuccessful.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT LEAD?
We have completed the monitoring of selected homes
in the "at -risk" categories:
homes with lead service lines connecting the
home's pipes system to the Village water
mains. This line may be made of lead in
homes built before the 1950's.
homes built between approximately 1982 and
1986 (when this material was banned)
employing lead -bearing solder to join copper
pipes.
We have measured elevated lead levels (above 15 PPB
limit) in approximately one-half of the 60 homes
tested.
In addition to our public education program,
Highland Park has incorporated a new corrosion
inhibition treatment at their Water Plant. This
should significantly reduce lead exposure throughout
the system.
Federal law requires the Village to deliver the
following mandatory public notice to you. The
language of this notice is, of necessity, general as it
applies nationwide.
FEDERAL NOTICE
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
and the Village of Deerfield are concerned about
lead in your drinking water. Although most homes
have very low levels of lead in their drinking water,
some homes in the community have lead levels above
the USEPA action level of 15 parts per billion (PPB),
or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (mg/L).
contributes to lead concentration of 15 PPB or more
after we have completed the comprehensive
treatment program.
If you have any questions about how we are carrying
out the requirements of the lead regulation, please
give us a call at 317-7245. This bulletin explains
the simple steps you can take to protect you and
your family by reducing your exposure to lead in
your drinking water.
Health Effects of Lead
Lead is a common, natural and often -useful metal
found throughout the environment in lead -based
paint, air, soil, household dust, food, certain types of
pottery, porcelain and pewter, and water.
Lead can pose a significant risk to your health if too
much of it enters your body. Lead builds up in the
body over many years and can cause damage to the
brain, red blood cells and kidneys.
The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant
women. Amounts of lead that won't hurt adults can
slow down the normal mental and physical
development of growing bodies. In addition, a child
at play often comes into contact with sources of lead
contamination -like dirt and dust- that rarely affect
an adult. It is important to wash children's hands
and toys often, and to try to make sure they only put
food in their mouths. •
Lead in Drinking Water
Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole
cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a
person's total lead exposure, particularly the
exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and
concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The
EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20
percent or more of a person's total exposure to lead.
Lead is unusual among drinking water contaminants
in that it seldom occurs naturally in water supplies.
Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of
the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials
containing lead in the water distribution system and
household plumbing. These materials include lead -
based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and
chrome -plated brass faucets, and in some cases, pipes
made of lead that connect your house to the water
main (service lines).
In 1986, Congress banned the use of lead solder
containing greater that 0.2 percent lead, and
restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes and other
plumbing materials to 8 percent.
Under Federal law, we are required to have a When water stands in pipes or plumbing systems
program in place to minimize lead in your drinking containing lead for several hours or more, the leads •
water by January 1998. This program includes may dissolve into your drinking water. This means
corrosion -control treatment,source - water treatment, the first water drawn from the tap in the morning, or
and public education. We also are required to replace late in the afternoon after returning from work or
each lead service line that we control if the line school, can contain fairly high levels of lead.
0
•
Drinking Water Supply System
I
Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce
Exposure to Lead in Drinking
Despite our best efforts mentioned earlier to control
water corrosivity and remove lead from the water
supply, lead levels in some homes or buildings can be
high. To find out whether you need to take action in
your own home, have your drinking water tested to
determine if it contains excessive concentrations of
lead. Testing the water is essential because you
cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water.
Some local laboratories that can provide this
information are listed at the end of this notice.
If a water test indicates that the drinking water
drawn from a tap in your home contains lead above
15 PPB, than you should take the following
precautions:
Let the water run from the tap before using
it drinking or cooking any time the water in
a faucet has gone unused for more than six
hours. The longer water resides in your
home's plumbing, the more lead it may
contain. Flushing the tap means running the
cold water faucet until the water gets
noticeably colder, .usually about 15 to 30
seconds. If your house has a lead service line
to the water main, you may have to flush the
water for a longer time, perhaps one minute,
before drinking. Although toilet flushing or
showering flushes water through a portion of
your home's plumbing system, you still need
to flush the water in each faucet before using',
it for drinking or cooking. Flushing tap
water is a simple and inexpensive measure
you can take to protect your family's health.
It usually uses less than one or two gallons of
water and costs less than 25 cents per month
(based on flushing two times a day for 30
days). To conserve water, fill a couple
bottles for drinking water after flushing the
tap, and whenever possible use the first flush
water to wash the dishes or water the plants.
If you live in a high-rise building, letting the
water flow before using it may not work to
lessen your risk from lead. The plumbing
systems have 'more, and sometimes larger,
pipes than smaller buildings. Ask your
landlord for help in locating the source of
lead and for advice on reducing the lead
level.
* Try not to cook with, or drink water from
the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve
more lead more quickly than cold water. If
you need hot water, draw water from the
cold tap and heat it on the stove or in the
microwave.
* Remove loose lead solder and debris from the
plumbing materials installed in newly
constructed homes, or homes in which the
plumbing has recently been replaced, by
removing the faucet strainers from all taps
and running the water from 3 to 5 minutes.
Thereafter, periodically remove the strainers
and flush out any debris that has
accumulated over time.
* If your copper pipes are joined with lead
solder that has been installed illegally since it
was banned in 1986, notify -the plumber who
did the work and request that he or she
replace the lead solder with lead-free solder.
Lead solder looks dull gray, and when
scratched with a key looks shiny. In
addition, notify your State Environmental
Protection Agency (IEPA), Elgin Regional
Office, (708) 741-7771 about the violation.
* Determine whether or not the service line
that connects your home or apartment to the
water main is made of lead. The best way to
determine if your service line is made of lead
is by either hiring a licensed plumber to
inspect the line or by contacting the
plumbing contractor who installed the line.
You might be able to identify the plumbing
contractor by checking the Village's records
of building permits. The Village does
maintain a file when'homes are built, and
records of the more recent homes will
contain the name of the licensed plumber
listed on the permit. A licensed plumber can
at the same time check to see if your home's
plumbing contains lead solder, lead pipes, or
pipe fittings that contain lead. The public
water system that delivers water to your
home also should maintain records of the
materials located in the distribution system.
If the service line that connects your
dwelling to the water main contributes more
than 15 PPB to drinking water, after our
comprehensive treatment program is in place,
we are required to replace the line. If the
line is only partially controlled by the Village
of Deerfield, we are required to provide you
with information on how to replace your
portion of the service line, and offer to
replace that portion of the line at your ex-
pense and take a follow-up tap water sample
TIF REBATES
OUTSTANDING YOUTH AWARD
In late December, the Village Board passed a
resolution reallocating approximately $6.5 million
from the Lake Cook Road Tax Increment Financing
District to various local taxing bodies in both Lake
and Cook Counties. This is the fifth consecutive
year that the Village is redistributing TIF funds. In
taking this action, Mayor Bernard Forrest stated:
"We are very pleased with the success of the Lake
Cook TIF project and the opportunity it affords the
Village to distribute these surplus funds. As in past
years, the Village has elected to use its reallocation to
abate a portion of its tax levy. Once again, I am
asking the other local government units to do
likewise. I recognize that State property tax caps
have placed limits on each of them. However, the
average increase in this year's disbursements is 12%.
Certainly, some of this unanticipated revenue could
replace what would otherwise have to be levied next
year.
"The message delivered by voters in last November's
election should not be lost on local governments. All
of us need to find alternatives to increased taxation,
whether that be innovative methods of service
delivery or cutbacks in management costs. The Lake
Cook Road TIF District funds provide an
opportunity to give our taxpayers some relief, and I
encourage each taxing body to find a way to do so."
"A TRIBUTE TO WILL ROGERS"
"A Tribute to Will Rogers" will be sponsored by the
Deerfield Area Historical Society and the Deerfield
Public Library on Wednesday, March 29th at 7:30
P.M. at the Deerfield Public Library. Lance Brown
will present a one-man show, "A Tribute to Will
Rogers - A Voice for the 90's." Admission is free.
Refreshments will be served. For more information
call 948-1157.
VILLAGE OF DEERFIELD
850 Waukegan Road
Deerfield, Illinois 60015
Fire Department..............................911
Fire Department Non -Emergency ............945-4066
Police Department ............................911
Police Department Non -Emergency ..........945-8636
Village Hall..............................945-5000
BERNARD FORREST, Mayor
TRUSTEES
Marvin W. Ehlers Edwin B. Seidman
John H. Heuberger Vernon E. Swanson
Harriet Rosenthal Michael Swartz
Robert D. Franz, Village Manager
Marjorie Emery, D-Tales Editor
% Printed on Recycled Paper
Printed at SPS, The Printing Company, Inc. (708) 498-6126
The Deerfield Youth Council would like your help.in
nominating deserving young men and women for the
Jeffrey Werner Outstanding Youth Award. This
award was first presented in 1.969 as a memorial to
Jeffrey Werner, a Deerfield teenager who, despite a
terminal illness, distinguished himself in service to
his community.
Nomination forms are available at the Village Hall.
Please return completed forms to the attention of
Barbara Bishop, Village of Deerfield, 850 Waukegan
Road, Deerfield, Illinois 60015. The deadline for
accentine nominations is April 1. 1995. The award
presentation will.take place at Jewett Park during the
Memorial Day Ceremony.
NEW INFOCHANNEL ON CABLE CHANNEL 3
Our Village has joined the information superhighway
with the debut of the Deerfield InfoChannel. Found
on Cable Channel 3, it's billed as "the TV channel
you control with your phone." The InfoChannel is
easy to operate. Find a topic you want to see from
the extensive on -screen menus, dial a special phone
number, and enter the code number for the topic you
want to see. Then hang up the phone and watch the
screen as the information appears almost instantly.
Much more information will be added in the months
ahead. Cable Channel 3 also will continue to
broadcast Board of Trustees meetings (at 8:00 P.M.
on the first and third Monday of every month) as
well as other meetings of interest.
YARD WASTE COLLECTION
Yard waste collections will begin on Tuesday, April
4th. Don't forget, you must use "Deerfield Recycles"
bags. Bundled brush will also be picked up each
Tuesday.
Bulk Rate
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 1
Deerfield, Illinois
CAR/PRE-SORT
POSTAL CUSTOMER
DEERFIELD, ILLINOIS 60015
LJ
within 14 days of the replacement.
The Illinois Department of Public Health.
Acceptable replacement alternatives include
Division of Family Services at (217) 782-
copper, steel, and iron pipes.
0403, Division of Environmental Health -at
(217) 782-5830 or the Lake County Health
* Have an electrician check your wiring. If
Department at 360-6753 can provide you
grounding wires from the electrical system
with information about the health effects of
are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be
lead and how you can have your child's blood
greater. Check with a licensed electrician or
tested.
your local electrical code to determine if
your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. DO
The Illinois Environmental Protection
NOT attempt to change the wiring yourself
Agency, Division of Public Water Supplies at
because improper grounding can cause
(217) 782-9470 and the United States
electrical shock and fire hazards.
Environmental Protection Agency's Safe
Drinking Water Act Hot Line (800) 426-4791
The steps described above will reduce the lead
also can answer your questions about the lead
concentrations in your drinking water. However, if
rules.
a water test indicates that the drinking water coming
from your tap contains lead concentrations in excess
The following is a list of some state -approved
of-15 PPB after flushing, or after we have completed
laboratories in the area that you can call to have your
our actions to minimize lead levels, then you may
water tested for lead.
want to take the following measures:
Illinois EPA -approved water testing laboratories:
* Purchase or lease a home treatment device.
Home treatment devices are limited in that
each unit treats only the water that flows
Enviro- Test /Perry
from the faucets to which it is connected, ;
319 Ogden Avenue
and all of the devices require periodic
Downers Grove, IL 60551
maintenance and replacement. Devices such
708-963-4672
as reverse osmosis systems or distillers can
effectively remove lead from your drinking
Gabriel Laboratories Ltd.
water. Some activated carbon filters may
1421 N. Elston Avenue
reduce lead levels at the tap, however, all
Chicago, IL 60622 %
lead reduction claims should be investigated.
312-486-2123
Be sure to check the actual performance of a
specific home treatment device before and
Gulf Coast Lab
after installing the unit. Anyone considering
2417 Bond Street
purchase of a home water treatment unit !
University Park, IL 60466 j
should first read the January 1990 issue of
708-534-5200
CONSUMER REPORTS magazine, which
contains a feature article evaluating the many
Micro -Fiber Lab
units available. This is available at the
25 Landwehr Road
Deerfield Public Library, 920 Waukegan
Northbrook, IL 60062
Road.
708-498-4127
* Purchase bottled water for drinking and '
North Shore Sanitary District
cooking.
P.O. Box 750
Gurnee, IL 60031
You can consult a variety of sources for additional
708-623-6060
information. Your family doctor or pediatrician can j
perform a blood test for lead and provide you with
N.E.T. Midwest
information about the health effects of lead. State
850 W. Bartlett Road
and local government agencies that can be contacted
Bartlett, IL 60103
include:
708-289-3100.
* The Village of Deerfield Public Works 1Scientific
Control
Department at 317-7245 can provide you
3158 S. Kolin Avenue
with information about your community's
Chicago, IL 60623
water supply.
312-254-2406
* The Village of Deerfield Building
Culligan
Department at 945-5000 will provide you
270 W. Palatine
with what information is available about
Wheeling, IL 60090
building permit records. These records
708-459-1550
might contain the names of plumbing 1
contractors that plumbed your home.
I
011ce Beat UV. -
Congratulations
New Zero Tolerance Law in
Illinois
On January 1, 1995, Illinois
adopted a Zero Tolerance law for
under age drinkers. You have
probably already heard of this
new law through the media. We
also have public education efforts
that are currently underway at
our High school and for the pub-
lic. We would like to remind res-
idents that the law for driving un-
der the influence (DUI) has not
changed. The DUI law pertains
to any motorist operating a motor
vehicle while impaired. Zero
Tolerance pertains to those
drivers under the age of 21 who
have any trace of alcohol in their
system. Drivers under 21 and
suspected of having consumed
alcohol, will be asked to submit
to a breath test. If the individual
has a blood alcohol level greater
than zero, the driving privileges
will be suspended 3 months for a
first time offender. A subsequent
offense will result in a loss of
driving privileges for 1 year. A
refusal to submit to a breath test
will result in a 6 month suspen-
sion for a first time offender and
2 years for a subsequent offense.
Automobile crashes are the lead-
ing cause of death for young
adults. Nationally, every day six
individuals between the ages of
16 and 20 die in automobile
crashes, almost half of which are
alcohol related. If you have a
family member who is between
the age of 16 and 20 please take a
moment to reinforce the impor-
tance of the Zero Tolerance law.
D.A.R.E.
We wish to extend our hearty
congratulations to all the recent
D.A.R.E. graduates. Fifth grade
students from South Park,
Walden and Wilmot elementary
schools recently completed the
first Drug Abuse Resistance Edu-
cation classes in Deerfield. The
seventeen week curriculum is
taught by officers Karen Sta-
chowicz and Mike Soler. Classes
are currently underway at the re-
maining grade schools and we
look forward to another group of
fifth grade graduates in the
Spring. Congratulations!
911
We recently had an inquiry about
the 911 emergency telephone
system that we would like to
share with residents.. Your tele-
phone is not malfunctioning if af-
ter dialing 911 you experience a
short period of silence until it
rings at the Police Department.
911 continued
The delay is generally 3 - 8 sec-
onds and is normal for any emer-
gency telephone system.
Contaminated
Water Scam
A new scam has surfaced in our
area that we would like to bring
to your attention. Neighboring
communities have experienced
two men posing as Public Works
employees who approach a
homeowner and ask if they can
enter the home. The subjects tell
the homeowner that they are in-
vestigating the possibility of con-
taminated drinking water at the
residence. Once the con men are
in the house they spread out, sup-
posedly to check the drinking
water. When they leave cash and
valuables are discovered missing.
We would like to remind resi-
dents that when Deerfield Public
Works employees are working
they are always in uniform, have
identification and will be driving
a Village vehicle. You can al-
ways verify employment by call-
ing the Public Works Department
at 317-7245. If anything suspi-
cious does occur, we ask that you
deny that person entry to your
home and dial 911 immediately.