Joliet Chooses Chicago For Future Water Source
Joliet has evaluated two water sources to supply the city with water for the future years to come. At a notable meeting on Thursday, January 28 the Joliet city council voted on who will provide the city with water in the future. The Hammond option would have provided Joliet with more control over future water rates but cost more up front. The Chicago option will cost less up front, but Joliet will not control future water rates. The council selected the City of Chicago Department of Water Management to provide Joliet with Lake Michigan water by 2030. A study in 2018 showed that Joliets aquifer could be depleted as soon as 2030. This aquifer also provides water to the surrounding communities of Joliet.
Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said “We are excited to partner with the City of Chicago. This decision gives the citizens of Joliet all the knowledge and resources of a system that purifies and distributes over 1 billion gallons of water each day to over 5.3 million residents in northeast Illinois”. “We are excited to be a leader in the development of a long-term water supply for ourselves and the region. Our future and the future of all who live here will be better because of the decisions we made today.”
As per the city of Joliet’s news discharge, Joliet will receive the rewards of the best in class Eugene Sawyer Water Purification Plant. The office incorporates a microbiology and chemistry lab that consistently tests the water for safety. The Chicago Department of Water Management has more than 2000 employees that work to provide the highest quality water to their clients.
Although there are positives to this choice like the Eugene Sawyer Water Purification Plant and the amount of the employees that Chicagos department of Water management has there are some negatives. The current average monthly water bill in Joliet is around $36. Water rates are expected to reach nearly $90 a month by 2030 and only keep rising from there. By choosing Chicago as their water source Joliet will not be able to determine its own water rates but Joliet will be able to provide input through and advisory council. Chicago officials have agreed to an annual maximum increase rate of 5%.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted after the Thursday night vote, “We are very excited to enter our new water alliance with Joliet and begin our work together to deliver clean, safe, high-quality drinking water to all our residents and businesses”.
I talked to Kevin Quinn who works for the city of Joliet’s water department and he had many positive things to say about the choice. He explained that there are countless reasons this choice will be good for Joliet and the cities surrounding it. He clarified that the stability that Chicagos water department brings to Joliet is a big reason that it was chosen.
One Joliet resident offered her input on Joliet choosing Chicago as its water source saying “Another reason Chicago water was probably the best choice for Joliet relates to the higher Initial cost of the Hammond scenario weighted with the potential upside of recoiling costs by selling water to other local municipalities. While the potential sale to other cities seemed like a good scenario when this process was started since then another group was formed to do exactly that without Joliet. (Can’t remember the name but it was one of the options they discussed to join this group). Once this group was formed and started moving forward with their own plan it seems the likely good of selling Joliet water to these groups and recouping some of the upfront costs decreased.” She also explained her concerns of Chicago being able to choose the water rates and how i the long turn it could be bad for Joliet.
The following period of work will start promptly to build the structure for the execution of the new water framework to give Lake Michigan water to Joliet residents by 2030. A starter timetable of work that must be done to bring Lake Michigan water to Joliet can be found on the programs website www.RethinkWaterJoliet.org.
