The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) this past Wednesday, Sept. 1st, issued an order granting the City of Joliet a Lake Michigan Water Allocation Permit. This permit allows Joliet to begin using Lake Michigan water as its source of supply in 2030 and establishes annual allocation amounts through the year 2050. Receipt of the Allocation Permit is a major milestone in Joliet’s Alternative Water Source Program created to provide a sustainable, reliable, and high-quality water supply for the community by 2030.
“We are thrilled that the IDNR has approved our request for a Lake Michigan Water Allocation Permit. With this permit in hand, we can move forward with confidence in bringing Lake Michigan water to Joliet and ensure that our community is provided with a reliable, high-quality supply of water for years to come,” Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said upon hearing news of the permit allocation.
Joliet is currently proceeding with preliminary design efforts for new pipeline, pumping, and water storage infrastructure needed to convey treated Lake Michigan water purchased from the City of Chicago approximately 31 miles to Joliet. Both the Joliet and Chicago City Councils approved a Preliminary Agreement for development of the new water supply earlier this year.
The new water supply is required to replace Joliet’s existing groundwater supply. Recent analysis performed by the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) indicates that the water levels in the deep aquifer used by Joliet and other communities in the region will decline to a point where local wells will no longer be able to meet the region’s water needs. ISWS estimates that Joliet’s wells will not be able to reliably meet the community’s maximum day water demands by as soon as 2030.
In granting the Allocation Permit, the IDNR concluded that 1) Illinois has sufficient capacity within its current Lake Michigan water diversion amount to support Joliet’s requested future water needs, 2) Joliet meets the IDNR regulatory requirements for a Lake Michigan Water Allocation, 3) Joliet’s projections of future water demands are acceptable and appropriate, and 4) Joliet is in compliance with the IDNR’s regulatory water conservation/efficiency requirements. IDNR noted that while Joliet does not currently meet the agency’s 10% threshold for non-revenue water, it has submitted an acceptable plan for achieving compliance with this requirement by 2030.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to learn more about the Alternative Water Source Program at www.RethinkWaterJoliet.org, or by following the initiative through Facebook and Twitter. Visitors to the website can also sign-up to receive e-mail updates for the latest news on the Program.