Regional water commission could add members in the future

The regional water commission being formed by Joliet to provide Lake Michigan water could continue to take on other members if it chooses after a February deadline.

The Romeoville Village Board votes Wednesday whether to join the commission and become the sixth and final among its original members.

Other municipalities in the commission are Joliet, Crest Hill, Channahon, Minooka and Shorewood.

Romeoville and Lemont were the last two still in discussion to join the commission.

Lemont is not ready to make a decision, but has not ruled out joining the commission in the future, Lemont Village Administrator George Schafer said.

“We’re continuing to evaluate all of our options,” Schafer said last week. “We support Joliet and understand their need to move quickly.”

But Lemont is not ready to make a decision by the end of February, the deadline set for original members of the water commission to make their commitments.

Joliet Utilities Director Allison Swisher said the regional water commission could take on other members after February. Commission members would decide whether to take on more members and set terms for their joining the commission.

Joliet wants the commission in place by the end of this month as part of the city’s timeline to deliver Lake Michigan water to Joliet faucets by 2030. The Illinois State Water Survey has forecast that the deep aquifer now providing Joliet with well water will no longer meet peak demand by 2030.

Lemont is not facing the same timeline, Schafer said.

“Our water is in good shape for several decades, and we have other options for Lake Michigan water,” he said.

Other options include Illinois American Water, a service that now provides Lake Michigan water to Bolingbrook and Plainfield. Romeoville also has considered Illinois American Water among its options for Lake Michigan water.