Alternate Water Source Program Secures Sustainable Water Future for over 300,000 Residents
By 2030, the City of Joliet’s current water source (deep groundwater wells) will no longer be able to meet the City’s water demands. After a comprehensive and collaborative regional study facilitated by a CMT-led team, the City determined that purchasing water from the City of Chicago and pumping it to the southwest suburbs is the best option to provide a sustainable, high-quality water supply to meet the water needs of the growing region for over 100 years. And now, as a strategic design partner with Stantec, CMT is playing a key role in the design and construction engineering services for new infrastructure to bring water from Chicago to the region including water transmission mains, pumping stations, and storage facilities; hydraulics and environmental analysis; and land acquisition.
The $1.446 billion Program includes approximately 37 miles of larger diameter piping (66-and 60-inch) and 25 miles of smaller diameter piping (less than 60-inch) to move treated Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago’s system to the southwest suburbs, providing an alternative water source to more than 300,000 people.
Another enabling part of the Program supported by CMT has been the formulation of a historic 100-year agreement with the City of Chicago and the formation of the new Grand Prairie Water Commission. CMT’s Strategic Funding team has also taken a key role advising the City and its partners on strategies for government outreach, which has helped create new funding opportunities and facilitated the passage of state legislation necessary to establish the new Commission.
Construction activities will begin with the Chicago Connection Facilities in 2024, with project completion scheduled for 2030. Key features include:
- The extension of the Chicago water tunnel
- 62 miles of water transmission pipeline
- Three large water pumping stations
- Three water storage facilities (9.5 million gallons total)
- 13 water delivery facilities
- A regional control and data acquisition system
- Land and easement acquisition for over 100 parcels
Besides being a sustainable option, the new Lake Michigan water source will support the future growth and development of the six members of the Grand Prairie Water Commission which include Channahon, Crest Hill, Joliet, Minooka, Romeoville, and Shorewood in Illinois.
