Joliet holds open house Wednesday on major water main construction project

Joliet will hold an open house Wednesday for what will be its biggest year yet in an ongoing water main replacement program.

The city will replace 33 miles of water mains in 2024, and it will be difficult for motorists to avoid all the construction that comes with that, Utilities Director Allison Swisher said.

“This will be our largest program to date,” Swisher said in a presentation to the City Council this week. “Pretty much everyone who going to try to drive around town is going to encounter one of these projects.”

The city is replacing all water mains built before 1970, a project that started in 2017 and is expected to continue until 2030.

The work this year starts April 1, and the city has begun notifying residents in the areas where mains will be replaced.

In the meantime, anyone can attend the open house on Wednesday, which will be 5-7 p.m. at the Eastside Wastewater Treatment Plant, 815 Adler St.

“We need to do a lot of communication,” Swisher said. “Making sure everyone is informed is vital to the program.”

The city last week sent letters notifying property owners in construction zones and providing contact information. Construction service representatives will be assigned to each zone, giving property owners someone they can call as the projects proceed through the summer.

Door-hangers will be used to notify residents before construction starts in their area and before water shutoffs occur during the course of construction.

The 33 miles of water main replacement involves 18 contractors at a price of $85 million.

The city spent $115 million on the program from 2017 and 2022, Swisher said.

Joliet has stepped up the program as part of the Lake Michigan water project, which requires that no more than 10% of water coming into Joliet be lost through the city’s system. Joliet now is losing about 30% of its water, and replacing leaky mains is seen as a key component in reducing water loss.