State Sen. Chapin Rose recommended Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank-Feinen, Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin, Rantoul Mayor Charles Smith, Monticello Mayor Larry Stoner, Piatt County State’s Attorney Dana Rhoades, Champaign County Healthcare Consumers Director Claudia Lenhoff, and longtime educator and Mahomet resident Jim Risley for appointment to the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force. The Governor has the ultimate authority to confer appointments to the Task Force but has asked for local recommendations.
The Mahomet Aquifer Task Force will be comprised of several legislators, one of them being Rose, people representing health care, environment, industry, labor, farming, and water organizations. Seven members of the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force must be people representing local government bodies located over the Mahomet Aquifer. Members will not be paid.
Helping ensure high quality, clean drinking water for people in Central Illinois for generations is the requirement of the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force, which was developed through legislation (SB 611) co-sponsored by Rose this past spring. It was signed into law by Gov. Rauner on Aug. 25.
Specifically, the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force must:
Develop a state plan to maintain the groundwater quality of the Mahomet Aquifer;
Identify potential and current contamination threats to the water quality of the Mahomet Aquifer;
Identify actions that might be taken to ensure the long-term protection of the Mahomet Aquifer;
Make legislative recommendations for future protection of the Mahomet Aquifer.
The task force will report its finding and solutions to the General Assembly by July 1, 2018.
The Mahomet Aquifer:
Is the primary source of water for 14 counties in Central Illinois;
Provides 53 million gallons of water per year for 120 public water systems;
Supplies thousands of rural wells.