The Joliet City Council Tuesday unanimously approved a $87 million bond issue to replace the water mains, which is a part of the $810 million project. The City of Joliet will share a major portion of the remaining $810 million costs with members of the Regional Water Commission that includes the communities of Romeoville, Crest Hill, Shorewood, Channahon, and Minooka. Following Joliet, Romeoville would be the next largest water user in the commission.
The City of Joliet’s existing water source will no longer by sustainable by 2030 if the current water usage does not change. The goal is to provide the city with Lake Michigan water by 2030. New infrastructure will be built near the existing Chicago Southwest Pumping Station, and it will be owned, operated, maintained, and overseen by the water commission.
Last December, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation allowing the creation of a Joliet-area commission for Lake Michigan water. Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said, “This will enable us to address our drinking water needs as a region for the benefit of generations to come.”
City Manager James Capparelli told the council that borrowing $87 million is not unexpected as, “Everyone knows it is going to be expensive.”
Joliet in January 2021 approved an agreement with the City of Chicago to bring Lake Michigan water to Joliet, which is about 33 miles. Lemont opted against joining the commission.
The $87 million bond issue the council approved Tuesday also includes money to pay for the ongoing water main replacement in the city. The $12 million from the bond issue will go toward replacing water mains in the Reedwood neighborhood, which is in the River Bluff area along Laraway Road.
The water main replacement is necessary because the cities that use Lake Michigan water are required to have a water loss rate of less than 10 percent. Mains that are old typically cause leaks and water losses, according to city officials. They said Joliet typically loses about a third of its water produced in the well system every year.
Despite foreseeing an increase in her monthly water bill, lifelong Joliet resident Sheila Jackson said she supports the bond issue.
“We cannot sustain the system we have now,” she said. “Many of my neighbors and friends are upset about this, but there is no other alternative. The officials have told us getting the Lake Michigan water is the cheapest option for us.”
Madhu can be reached at mmayer@thetimesweekly.com
