The Great Lakes region is rich in freshwater, yet some communities combat growing water insecurity. The localities in Chicago’s southwest suburbs are searching for alternative water supplies as their groundwater source, the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer, will be exhausted in less than a decade due to over-extraction. 

To address the looming water crisis, the City of Joliet and five other Will County communities acquired an allocation permit to receive fresh water from Lake Michigan beginning in 2030. Upon receipt of the permit, the communities initiated plans for a pipeline and other infrastructure necessary to convey and store treated water purchased from the City of Chicago. The project, called the Grand Prairie Water Commission pipeline, is expected to cost $1.4 billion, and while it offers an alternative to these communities, existing laws limit withdrawals from Lake Michigan which will prevent other communities in similar predicaments from having the same option.[1]  

Joliet also intends to incorporate leak detection into its water plan with an investment of $600 million to replace water mains installed prior to 1970.[2]  Currently, leaks from the city’s system account for 30% non-revenue water, but any community receiving water from Lake Michigan is legally required to have less than 10% revenue water, putting pressure on the city to resolve this issue prior to receiving water in 2030.[3]

These endeavors will help Joliet and the other communities cope with shortages temporarily, but whether or not they will be viable long-term remains to be seen.  As more localities face constrained water supplies, policies that support new technologies and encourage collaboration become paramount in finding a sustainable balance between supply and demand.

[1] Walton, Brett. “Chicago Suburbs, Running out of Water, Will Tap Lake Michigan.” Circle of Blue, 6 Sept. 2023, www.circleofblue.org/2023/world/chicago-suburbs-running-out-of-water-will-tap-lake-michigan/.

[2] Walton, Brett. “Chicago Suburbs, Running out of Water, Will Tap Lake Michigan.” Circle of Blue, 6 Sept. 2023, www.circleofblue.org/2023/world/chicago-suburbs-running-out-of-water-will-tap-lake-michigan/.

[3] Walton, Brett. “Chicago Suburbs, Running out of Water, Will Tap Lake Michigan.” Circle of Blue, 6 Sept. 2023, www.circleofblue.org/2023/world/chicago-suburbs-running-out-of-water-will-tap-lake-michigan/.