By STEVE LORD Staff Writer

GENEVA -- Kane County wants to act now to keep the well from running dry.

County water resources officials will ask the County Board to OK a $40,000 grant to begin a water conservation program.

The plan would be similar to what the county has done with its solid waste education program, using newspaper inserts and teacher information packets for schools, to explain how to save water and why it's important.

"It's an opportunity to start educating people," said Paul Schuch, the county's water resources manager.

Conserving water and seeking drinking water sources quickly are moving into the public eye and could dominate public policy in 2008 in Kane County. During 2007, county development officials did their annual priority places workshop on water conservation and are including that as part of the 2008 workshop. The workshop is organized by Kane officials to educate other public officials in the county.

Also during 2007, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, or CMAP, organized its Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Planning Group to study future water supplies and develop a water plan for 11 counties in Northern Illinois.

The CMAP group is taking its cue from Kane, which five years ago began a study of county groundwater and water resources with the state. CMAP is using Kane County as a model for its regional plan.

Kane board members and staff said Tuesday they are anxious to get results from the study -- likely in July 2008.

Board member Don Wolfe, R-Elgin, said he would like to see practical advice on water conservation come from the research, "and the sooner the better.

"I'm afraid if we wait for the state, the Fox River will run dry," he said.

Phil Bus, Kane development director, said that early next year development staff will start showing how water resources are tied to traffic congestion and diverse, affordable housing. Those three "challenges" will be the focus of this year's workshop, Bus said.

"We will show how it relates overall to development and sprawl," he said.

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