The water undergoes a treatment process designed to assure constant contaminant removal and production of clean, safe drinking water that is also aesthetically pleasing. There are two features of the treatment process. First, water from Lake Michigan goes through a primary disinfecting step using ozone, which has been found to be highly effective in removing contaminants and deactivating disease-causing pathogens. The treated water then passes through filters of granular activated carbon, which remove any remaining contaminants and particles from the water and has also proven to be effective in eliminating problems sometimes encountered with unpleasant tastes or odors. The Village is responsible for maintaining 135 miles of watermain.
Water is stored in four elevated tanks and one ground storage tank located throughout the community.
The Village has a total storage capacity of 6.2 million gallons and currently services over 8,200 water accounts. This includes two deep wells and a connection with the City of Waukegan. The Village of Gurnee maintains an active construction program to replace deteriorated watermain and make extensions that improve service. Water Quality Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.