GENEVA – St. Charles resident Clifford McIlvaine was told in court Thursday that he must make sure his cistern water system is not connected to the city’s water supply or the city will proceed with an application for demolition or repair of the house at 605 Prairie St.

“He was clearly trying to avoid this agreement again, and we are not going to let that happen,” Phil Luetkehans, an attorney for the city of St. Charles, said after Thursday’s court hearing. The hearing was in the courtroom of Judge Thomas Mueller at the Kane County Courthouse in downtown Geneva.

As part of the project, McIlvaine has a cistern water system. A cistern is a tank for storing rainwater. He has signed a court order that he will not use it for bathing or drinking water, and the city wants to make sure the system does not pollute city water.