TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Ordinance to Establish the Grand Prairie Water Commission, Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement and a Water Supply Agreement, Appoint Representatives to the Commission, Authorize Approval of Bylaws and a Program Management Agreement, and Other Related Matters
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BACKGROUND:
The City of Joliet's existing water source, the deep groundwater aquifer, will be depleted to the point of not being able to meet the City's maximum day water demands by the year 2030. This is a regional problem. Groundwater modeling conducted by the Illinois State Water Survey indicates that the deep groundwater wells in Joliet and neighboring communities will someday be depleted to the point of no longer being able to supply the region's future water needs. Knowing this, the City of Joliet conducted an Alternative Water Source Study to determine alternative water sources which could be used by not only the City of Joliet, but possibly the region as a long-term, sustainable, reliable water source. In January 2021, the City Council selected purchasing Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago as its alternative water source. Shortly thereafter the City began meeting with other communities in the region to discuss the formation of a regional water commission and in February 2022, Joliet along with Channahon, Crest Hill, Minooka, Romeoville and Shorewood approved a Preliminary Agreement Regarding Formation of a Regional Water Commission. A regional water commission provides many benefits including:
* Lower water rates due to cost sharing and economies of scale
* Distribution of risk among more entities
* Support of state and federal agencies such as IEPA and USEPA as well as state and federal legislators
* Ability to obtain access for construction in rights-of-way outside of the limits of the City of Joliet
In August 2022, it was announced that the regional water commission would be called the Grand Pra...
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