Joliet plans $192 million overhaul of water system

Construction starts this year on $192 million in infrastructure projects as Joliet prepares to switch to Lake Michigan water in 2030.

The city plans to begin awarding contracts this spring, with construction to follow as work begins on what was described as the “Joliet-only” portion of the $1 billion-plus regional water system.

Joliet is moving from well water used for more than a century.

The city now has 26 wells and 11 treatment plants from which water is distributed throughout Joliet.

“When we switch to the Lake Michigan supply, we are switching from the 11 distribution points to four distribution points,” Joliet Utilities Director Allison Swisher told the City Council at a Feb. 3 meeting.

The changeover requires “significant improvements” within the city system, Swisher said.

Engineering consultant Joe Johnson outlined those improvements, describing contracts that will begin this year and continue into 2031, when facilities no longer needed will be demolished.

The projects range from new water towers and pumping stations to distribute Lake Michigan water to repurposing existing wells that will be kept for an emergency backup system.

Water towers

“This will be the first work package that will be bid out,” Johnson, a vice president and project manager with engineering firm Stantec, told the council.

Two 1 million-gallon water towers will be built.

One will be near Black and Bronk roads on the west side of the city. The other will be near Route 53 and Compass Boulevard in the southeast section.

Johnson said bids will be awarded in the spring, and construction should start in May and be completed in April 2027.

Pumping stations

The city will build new pumping stations and make other improvements “to help maintain pressure throughout the system,” Johnson said.

A new pumping station will be built near Plainfield South High School along Ridge Road, where the city currently has a water facility and tower.

Other projects include improvements to the Ingalls Avenue pumping station and a new pressure-adjusting facility on city property on Bluff Street south of Jefferson Street.

The project is expected to start in February 2026 and be completed in May 2028.

Distribution improvements

These improvements are needed for water transmission to distant areas of the city, Johnson said.

They include work near Plainfield South High School at Caton Farm and Ridge roads and in an area from Midland Avenue and Morgan Street to Bluff and Marion streets.

Construction will start in May 2026, with completion expected in January 2028.

Storage tanks

Ground storage tanks will be built to meet reserve capacity requirements and to hold Lake Michigan water before it is pumped into the distribution system.

They will be built at:

• Stryker Avenue and McDonough Street, where two tanks will be built

• Black and County Line roads

• the city public utilities facility on Washington Street

Construction will be from May 2026 to January 2028.

More pumping stations

A second pumping station project will include new stations at Stryker Avenue and McDonough Street and at Black and County Line roads.

Construction would start in February 2027 and be completed in July 2029.

Pumping station rehab and replacement

The city will rehab a pumping station on Essington Road to equip it for Lake Michigan water.

A new pumping station will be built at the city’s public utilities facility on Washington Street to pump water into the southeast section of the city.

Construction is expected to start in November 2028 and be completed by December 2029.

Repurposing and demolition

The city will continue to maintain selected wells for a backup water supply. Existing facilities not needed will be demolished.

“As we complete the program, some of the city’s wells and existing facilities will no longer be needed,” Johnson said.

This will be the last phase of the Joliet-only project and will run from October 2030 to December 2031.