More fed money sought for Joliet-area water project

The Grand Prairie Water Commission has cleared an early hurdle in pursuit of an additional $373 million in low-interest financing for the Lake Michigan water project.

The commission was formed to bring Lake Michigan water to Joliet and five neighboring communities by 2030, a project estimated to cost anywhere between $592 million and $993 million.

Joliet Utilities Director Allison Swisher recently announced that the commission has been invited to apply for $373 million in Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding, a federal program providing low-interest loans for water projects.

Joliet received $309 million in WIFIA funding for the Lake Michigan project and water main replacements in the city before the Grand Prairie Water Commission was formed. The program to replace all Joliet water mains built before 1970 has been estimated at $340 million.

The Grand Prairie Water Commission also includes Romeoville, Crest Hill, Shorewood, Channahon and Minooka.

Project planners are in the process of updating cost estimates with new projections to come out next year.

When Joliet approved the project in January 2021, the cost was estimated at between $592 million and $810 million based on prices current at the time. A projection based on escalating costs at the time of construction put the estimate at between $725 and $993 million.