Chicago wins $30 million-a-year competition for right to sell Lake Michigan water to Joliet [View all]

Chicago won a head-to-head competition with Hammond for the right to sell Lake Michigan water to Joliet, a deal that could ultimately flush Chicago’s water system with $30 million annually.

The Joliet City Council voted 7 to 1 Thursday night, ending a competition that included a personal pitch from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and now-former Water Commissioner Randy Conner.

Joliet will build a 31-mile pipeline and bankroll other pumping station infrastructure improvements costing between $592 million and $810 million.

The goal is to complete the work by 2030 and start serving Joliet residents and as many as 11 neighboring towns it hopes will agree to be part of a regional water system.

The average water bill in Joliet is expected to nearly triple from $31 monthly to $88 monthly over the next decade, primarily to bankroll the massive project needed to deliver Lake Michigan water to Joliet.

Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021/1/29/22256174/joliet-picks-chicago-supply-lake-michigan-water-build-pipeline