Water Well, Waste Hauler Ordinances Updated by Will County Committee

Article Summary: The Will County Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee approved updates to chapters governing water well permits and waste hauler reporting, forwarding them to the Executive Committee for consideration. Changes to the waste hauler ordinance include new definitions for homeowner associations and an increased fine, while the water well ordinance was updated to reflect current state statutes.

Will County Ordinance Review Key Points:

• The Waste Hauler Reporting ordinance (Chapter 54) was amended to include homeowner associations and other local governments that contract for waste services.

• The maximum fine for violating waste hauler reporting rules was doubled from $500 to $1,000.

• The Water Well Permit ordinance (Chapter 53) was reviewed with the Health Department and required only minor updates to state statute citations.

JOLIET, IL – Will County is updating its rules for waste haulers and water well permits after the Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee approved revisions to two chapters of the county code on Tuesday.

The committee unanimously advanced changes to Chapter 54, the Waste Hauler Reporting ordinance, to better reflect modern residential service contracts. Assistant State’s Attorney Philip Mock explained that definitions for “Homeowner Association” and “Unit of Local Government” were added because many subdivisions and even some townships now contract for waste services as a single entity rather than on a house-by-house basis.

“When I sent it to Waste Services, they suggested this updating on it, especially with homeowners associations because they do have some now that they contract together,” Mock said. The change allows the county to properly track waste and recycling data from these entities. The committee also approved doubling the maximum fine for violations of the chapter to $1,000.

The committee also approved Chapter 53, which regulates water well permits and water supply. Mock reported that after a line-by-line review with the Will County Health Department, officials there determined no substantive changes were needed.

“He said no changes were needed,” Mock stated. “I even asked him if we needed to change the fees and he thought they were okay. They’re not in a business to make a profit. They just want to cover their costs.”

The ordinance was moved forward with only minor technical corrections to update state statute citations. Both ordinances will now be reviewed by the Will County Executive Committee.