Water use remains an issue with an industrial lettuce greenhouse being proposed in Yorkville at the corner of Eldamain Road and Corneils Road. Lettuce producer BrightFarms wants to drill its own 500 foot well. At max capacity, the facility is anticipated to use about 75 million gallons of water each year. BrightFarms Project Developer Sean O'Neill says about a quarter the water use will come from rain water capture and another quarter will be water that is reused multiple times.
Yorkville Alderman Joe Plocher says he needs to hear more on how the company backs up those numbers. Plocher says it's a deal breaker if the water issue isn't resolved.
Yorkville City Engineer Brad Sanderson says the city did its own analysis of the water situation and notes that the aquifer that BrightFarms would be using will not affect the city's water supply. The aquifer that the city mostly uses and the one Bright Farms plans to tap are separate. Sanderson says the BrightFarms well could impact several wells for farms and homes in the immediate area.
O'Neill was present at the meeting via video chat. He says BrightFarms would pay to remedy, including the lowering of pumps, any local water wells impacted by the company.
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