Hammond’s plan would cost more upfront, but give Joliet ownership and more control over local rates. Chicago’s pitch requires less money now, but would tie Joliet to rates set by outsiders.
It is the last step in a yearslong process to find a new water source.
Joliet city council members narrowed down their options to Hammond and Chicago and are expected to make a decision at their Jan. 28 meeting.
A 2015 study completed by the Illinois State Water Survey showed decreased water levels for aquifers in Northeastern Illinois. Based on modeling completed in 2018, Joliet’s aquifer could be depleted and unable to meet demand by 2030, according to the city’s website.
Joliet is looking for a solution that not only meets the needs of its residents but could also serve other communities in the region.
“Joliet, long term, could be in a position where we not only have a good source of water for all our citizens but that we could provide water for other communities,” Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told Joliet council members Thursday the city offers not only access to Lake Michigan water but to a “world-class” water system.
With the Chicago option, Lake Michigan water would be treated at the city’s Eugene Sawyer Water Purification Plant, the eighth largest purification plant in the world. Lightfoot said the city’s water supply is continuously tested and monitored by chemists and engineers. Joliet would extend a pipeline to Durkin Park to access the water supply.
The Chicago option, expected to cost $592 to $810 million, comes with a 50-year agreement and set water fees the City of Chicago would charge Joliet.
“Developing this partnership was one of the first agenda items I undertook when I took office last year,” Lightfoot said, adding that choosing Chicago would mean a partnership with an award winning and proven system.
With the Hammond option, expected to cost $1.03 to $1.37 billion, Joliet would gain an access point for Lake Michigan water to be piped to Joliet where it would be treated and distributed. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. highlighted that the Hammond option gives Joliet more control and ownership of the water. McDermott compared the two options facing Joliet to renting or owning a home, noting that with Hammond, Joliet would be choosing an option that allows them to own and develop their own water utility to serve the region.
“You set the rates,” said McDermott, who also highlighted that, while the Hammond option costs more upfront, there are greater long-term savings. “At the end of the day it will be the Joliet Water Company.”
With both options, Joliet would have to build a pipeline, about 40 miles long, to get the water from Chicago or Hammond to Joliet.
O’Dekirk said several neighboring communities are keeping an eye on what Joliet does to determine their next move. Some may opt to partner with Joliet on this project, he said, but those options won’t be discussed until Joliet decides which option it will chose he said.
“We’re looking for partners to do this with us,” O’Dekirk said. “Over the next 100 years we anticipate there will be a lot of demand.”
Joliet is accepting public comment on the proposed options until Jan. 19.
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