The Joliet City Council approved hiring a consultant to take the next steps in securing a new water source for the City at their April 21, 2020 meeting. A team led by Stantec, an engineering services company, was selected to complete this work. The Stantec team includes many subconsultants that will provide specialty services required for successful completion of this project.
“We must keep this project moving,” said Mayor O’Dekirk, “it is critical we meet our schedule to ensure we have new infrastructure in place before our water supply runs out.” The City currently gets its water from a deep well aquifer that will no longer be able to meet the City’s needs by 2030. A study launched in 2018 evaluated the alternatives available to provide a sustainable water source to the City for their future needs. The results of this study were presented to the public in December 2019. The Joliet City Council selected Lake Michigan as the preferred source at their meeting in January 2020.
The next phase of this process will determine if Lake Michigan water should be tapped from the City of Chicago or from a new intake in Indiana. The consultant will evaluate both options and present their findings to the Council. It is anticipated this will be complete by the end of the calendar year. Once this is determined, the team will begin the design and permitting process to keep this project on schedule.
To learn more about the study visit www.ReThinkWaterJoliet.org, or follow the initiative through Facebook and Twitter. Visitors to the website can also sign-up for e-mail updates for the latest project news.
Comments can be submitted at any time by emailing rethinkwater@joliet.gov, via the website at www.rethinkwaterjoliet.org/contact, or by calling the Utilities Department at 815-724-4220.
