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A regional commission to deliver Lake Michigan water now has four members with at least a fifth likely on the way.
The Joliet City Council on Tuesday formally approved joining the commission, which was a given, considering Joliet already has a deal to buy Lake Michigan water from Chicago and is forming the commission in hopes of spreading the costs.
In the past week, Shorewood and Minooka also approved resolutions to join the commission. Crest Hill earlier in January approved a resolution to join the commission.
The regional water commission is being formed to share the benefits and costs of bringing Lake Michigan water to towns looking at uncertain forecasts for the future of groundwater supplies that they use now.
Still considering membership in the commission are Channahon, Romeoville and Lemont.
The council on Tuesday approved a resolution likely to lead to Channahon’s membership in the commission.
The resolution commits to a future delivery point for Lake Michigan water to Channahon at Thomas Dillon Drive near Route 6, where Joliet currently supplies groundwater to a portion of Channahon. Placing a delivery point close to Channahon would lower costs to the village compared to a location farther away.
Director of Public Utilities Allison Swisher told the council that Channahon is expected to vote Monday on whether to join the regional commission.
Joliet has been talking with two other communities about joining the commission: Romeoville and Lemont. Romeoville is expected to vote later in February.
There was little discussion about the two items approved Tuesday other than Mayor Bob O’Dekirk commending Swisher for her work done on the water project and asking for an update on the Channahon vote.
Joliet is working on a design for a pipeline to connect with Chicago to bring water to Joliet and other communities by 2030. The city is working on a timeline based on forecasts from the Illinois State Water Survey that predicts the aquifer providing water to Joliet’s deep water wells will not be able to meet peak demand by 2030.