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j V al C 'arby , »H01 Shore driv e, said that her husband nev er drinks the water "After the police dro\e b> telling people not to drink the water." she said, "he hasn't drank it since " She explained that whenever they have guests, she has to boil enough water to drink. "I e\en have to boil water to clean the fish tank." she said^"or the tank would be a green color." The Carbys enjoy the convenience of a water softener which has.'slightly reduced the poor water problem. According to Mrs. ( arby, "Without the water softener, all our clothes would get rust spots ." PAGE 18 - PLAINDEALER • FRIDAY, JULY 14,1978 HOW TO DRINK THE WATER STORY BY WAYNE GAYLORD Lester Kckhart demonstrates the use of his water faucet filter. When demonstrating the filter, a distinct difference was noted in water passing through the filter as compared with water that by passed the filter. "Sometimes," said Eckhart, "We have to turn the water on and let it run for an hour or two, to try and get the JOEDEHN PHOTOS BY water clear." Eckhart explained that before the faucet filter was installed, his family was buy ing bottled drinking water. Now, they only keep bottled water,on hand for those times when the rust is so heavy that the filter doesn't e\en work. Although the Northern Illinois Utilities, Inc., has promised that its new well will improve the quality of water in the Lakeland Park area, residents there continue to search for ways to make the water drinkable. "Of course, they say that the new well will improve the condition of the water," said one resident. "How could it get any worse?" Many people in the area are perplexed because they have to pay for water that they can't drink. "My husband won't drink the water," said Mrs. Val Carby, 4801 Shore drive. "If company is coming over, I have to boil water for them to drink." Linda Beckler, 1918 Flower, said that a water softener has made the water better at her home. "The orange, yucky water lodes like iced tea," she explained, "but the water softener helps some. The only problem, explained Mrs. Beckler, is that the softener has to regenerate five times a week. A neighbor of Lester Eckhart, 5215 W Willow helped improve the quality of the Eckharts' water. "My neighbor bought my wife and I a water faucet filter for our anniversary," said Pictured above is the inside filter of the faucet filter used at the Eckhart residence. The "miracle worker" must be replaced monthly at a cost of approximately $2.65. monthly due to the heavy rust in the water. At the left, is a bottle of drinking water purchased at a cost of approximately 60 cents, "for those times when the filter can't even extract the rust from the water." In the center, a rust stain remover. Mrs. Eckhart uses the stain remover each time she runs water into the sink without using the filter. "The rust stains are present constantly," she explained. Eckhart. "Now the water is drinkable, although the filter has to be changed monthly at a cost of $2.65." Prior to the installation of a faucet filter, the Eckharts were buying bottled drinking water. "We were buying two to three bottles a week because the water was so bad," he explained "We had to pay a water bill, and still go out and buy our drinking water." Another resident in Lakeland Park explained that over $100 dollars worth of her laundry was ruined because of the water. "Sheets, pillowcases, shorts, and shirts all turned a dingy, rusty color, because of the terrible water," she explained. Unfortunately, the Utilities company did not offer reimbursement for the ruined articles, only a rust remover that one person said didn't even work A spokesman for the water company indicated that the new well will solve many of the problems in the area Above, Plaindealer Reporter Joe I)ehn interviews an employee of the Northern Illinois Utilities, Inc., while the employee flushes one of the fire hydrants in Lakeland park. The hydrants are flushed once a week (usually Tuesdays), in an effort to improve the quality of water in the area. "W hen the first hydrant is flushed." explained the employee, "the water is very orange in color." Some residents in the area, including Mary l.ou Keinhart (at right* told the I'lanidealer that on Tuesdays, their water is worse than on other The Lester Eckhart residence on W illow street in Lakeland park is fighting a losing battle against the orange, rusty water being provided by the Northern Illinois Utilities. At right, is a faucet water filter, purchased at a price of approximately $26, which according to Eckhart, "works most of the time in purifying the water." The filtering element inside needs to be replaced Until then, people will have to continue to buy drinking water, buy faucet filters, boil their water, do their laundry elswhere. or suffer through "orange, yucky water" until the problem is resolved days. When questioned regarding the quality of the water in her home, Mrs. Reinhart decided to display the water quality The first glass of water she tapped from the kitchen faucet was a darker shade than a glass of beer. The second and third glasses showed no improvement. "1 can't wash my white clothes at home any more," she explained. "I washed a load of baby diapers and they turned orange. I'll probably have to dye them to make them white again."