Lake Michigan Expected To Be Future Water Source For Oswego

OSWEGO, IL — After more than a year of researching and reviewing alternate water options, officials from Oswego, Montgomery and Yorkville are set to formally choose Lake Michigan as the region's future source of drinking water, Oswego staff announced Wednesday.

Making an official decision is on the agenda for Oswego's Dec. 14 village board meeting. Officials said they expect terms and formal agreements between WaterLink — composed of the three Kendall County municipalities — to take about a year to solidify.

"This partnership between Oswego, Yorkville, and Montgomery allowed us the opportunity to pool collective resources and expertise to find the best long-term solution for our residents and businesses," Oswego Village President Troy Parlier said in a statement. "The goal is a safe, reliable water source for generations to come."

Lake Michigan water will be sourced to the community via the DuPage Water Commission, which has provided water to its customers since 1992. The recommendation was made based on the quality and sustainability of Lake Michigan water and its proximity to the existing DuPage Water Commission system, which will provide the lowest combined total cost of a new water source for the three communities, officials said.

RELATED: Oswego Plans To Choose Alternate Water Source By End Of Year

"We knew our proximity to each other meant what source each community chose would impact the others, so working together throughout the process was vital," John Purcell, mayor of Yorkville, said in a statement. "The Village and City Administrators, Public Works Directors, and Village Presidents and Mayors from each of the communities were dedicated to supporting each other in making the best decision for their towns."

News broke in early 2020 that the region's current water source, a deep groundwater aquifer, would be at severe risk of depletion and no longer able to meet the maximum daily water demand between 2030 and 2050, Patch reported.

In April 2020, the Oswego Village Board approved a contract with Mokena-based Baxter and Woodman to conduct a six-part study of alternative water sources. Besides the DuPage Water Commission line, officials also considered the Fox River, Joliet Water Commission and Illinois American Water as options.

RELATED: Oswego's Drinking Water Supply Could Run Out By 2050: Village

Oswego trustees discussed the options and costs with the firm at an Oct. 5 Committee of the Whole meeting. If the village decided to go with the DuPage line, officials said at the meeting, Oswego would have no direct ownership or control of the water source but would have indirect control of the transmission infrastructure.

The estimated timeline was gauged to be about 4 to 5 years, Patch reported, and the treated water network through the DuPage Water Commission would be about 29.1 miles. According to village documents, Oswego's estimated final cost — which includes capital costs needed to construct and connect to the system, debt financing, the cost to produce and purchase water, and the cost to operate and maintain the system — will be around $136,230,000.

"By far, this is the single most important decision any of us will make in our times of service," Montgomery Village President Matt Brolley said in a statement.

He continued: "If the Boards vote to make the decision official, the real work will begin so that as a group, WaterLink can begin formal negotiations and agreements for the terms of the water sourcing. Staff will work internally to plan for the infrastructure build-out required and create a unified timeline that will work for each community as we move towards this transition."

Montgomery and Yorkville officials will make their decisions at Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 board meetings, respectively.

Oswego residents can find more information by visiting the village's webpage dedicated to the new water source.