Deerfield Blames Highland Park Lab For Contaminated Water

The Highland Park lab tasked with testing Deerfield’s water to make sure it’s safe to drink failed at its job, according to the Deerfield village manager, who is recommending that the village stop using the Highland Park lab.

In a memo for Deerfield Trustees at their meeting Tuesday, Village Manager Kent Street writes: “The Village should be able to rely on its certified testing lab to test our water supply … and to sound the alarm in the event test results show the need for immediate action by the Village. That notification did not occur … [which] potentially endangered public health.”

He goes on to write, “it is my recommendation that the Village not continue to use the [Highland Park] lab going forward.”

In an earlier report on the events that led up to the Aug. 12 boil order due to fecal coliform contamination, Street detailed the failure in communications between the Highland Park lab and the Deerfield water operator.

The Deerfield board will meet Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. to consider Street’s recommendation. You can read his full report here, starting on page. 18.

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