Farmers Weekly Review

When it is complete, the new infrastructure convey Lake Michigan water to more than 250,000 residents in Channahon, Crest Hill, Joliet, Minooka, Romeoville and Shorewood.

Joliet received the Lake Michigan water allocation, as well as permission to offer it to neighboring communities interested.

The overall system will require more than 60 miles of new water transmission main, as well as construction of a 4 million gallon, below-grade water storage facility and two 55 million-gallon-per-day pump stations and delivery facilities between Chicago and the Grand Prairie Water Commission communities. Construction of the improvements is projected to be completed in 2030.

Lake Michigan water will replace a reliance on deep wells used by those communities. A study by the Illinois State Water Survey showed, the water table serving northwestern Will County is not being replenished quickly enough to satisfy projected growth.

Some of the deep wells in each community will be kept for back up in case of emergencies with the Lake Michigan water supply.

The celebration was held at the site of the first construction project being undertaken by the Grand Prairie Water Commission adjacent to Chicago’s Southwest Pumping Station and Durkin Park near West 84th Street and Kedvale Avenue in Chicago.

Shorewood Mayor CC DeBold, commission chair, Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy and Romeoville Mayor John Noak thanked Underwood and the City of Chicago for their support of the project, acknowledging the benefits that can result from collaboration between local governments and state and local officials.

Before leading event participants in a celebratory toast to the groundbreaking with Chicago water, Johnson also recognized the office of 18th Ward Alderman Derrick Curtis, Durkin Park Elementary school, and residents of the Scottsdale neighborhood where the first construction is taking place, and thanked them for their support and cooperation as the Program moves forward.