Categories: Chicago

City of Joliet selects Stantec for preliminary design of $600-$800 million water program

Stantec has been selected by the City of Joliet to lead the preliminary design phase of its Alternative Water Source Program.

Joliet, located 30 miles southwest of Chicago, currently sources much of its water from a deep aquifer that will no longer be able to meet maximum day demands by 2030. To address this challenge, the city undertook a two-phase study to evaluate and identify a new source of water, with options including area groundwater, rivers, and Lake Michigan.

Findings were presented to the public and, in January 2020, the Joliet City Council selected Lake Michigan as its preferred source and proceeded to evaluate two options for bringing Lake Michigan water to the region.

In April 2020, Stantec, together with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly and additional subconsultants, was selected to evaluate whether water from Lake Michigan should be purchased from the City of Chicago and conveyed to Joliet through a new water transmission system or obtained through the construction of an entirely new water system supplied by an intake along the Indiana shoreline. Recently, Joliet’s City Council voted to proceed with development of the City of Chicago Alternative and authorized the Stantec team to begin preliminary design of the required infrastructure improvements. The $600-$800 million system will include new pumping, storage, and water transmission infrastructure to convey finished water approximately 31 miles to Joliet for distribution throughout the existing system.

The Stantec team’s scope of work to date has included supporting the City in the final technical and cost evaluations of the two options; application for a Lake Michigan water allocation permit; negotiation of preliminary supply/access agreements; intergovernmental coordination and communications; and public outreach. The team also evaluated regionalization strategies and options for conveyance configurations and routing to deliver Lake Michigan water to the city by 2030. The team is now tasked with completing preliminary design of all components of the new system, including connection, transmission, pumping, storage, and delivery facilities.

Preliminary design will begin immediately, with a construction start for some elements anticipated in late 2024.

Lucas Durden

Guest Writer

Recent Posts

Senate Democrats mock Biden for selling weapons to Israel

Some of President Biden's strongest Senate allies are calling on Israelis to end months of fierce fighting and criticizing the…

11 months ago

The biggest cities in Ukraine are struck by Russian missiles, leaving at least 4 dead and over 100 injured

Ukraine's KYIV — At least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured when Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles attacked Ukraine's…

11 months ago

Good News That’s Much Needed for Biden

The economy is making Americans feel a little more upbeat, especially when it comes to jobs and incomes, which could…

12 months ago

College Ventilation System Reveals Missing Man

The discovery of a decaying body inside a college ventilation system marked the tragic and unexplained end to a missing…

12 months ago

Following three Palestinian shots, a Vermont man was arrested

Following the shooting deaths of three 20-year-old Palestinian-American students in Vermont, authorities have detained a man. According to a news…

12 months ago

China is told to cease “COVID deception” due to the pneumonia outbreak by the US envoy

The United States ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, urged Chinese authorities "to abandon COVID deception" and demanded that China be…

12 months ago

This website uses cookies.