Oswego Plans To Choose Alternate Water Source By End Of Year

OSWEGO, IL — In an effort to find a viable solution for Oswego's future water source, village officials discussed the costs of alternative water sources — one of the key considerations for the project — at Tuesday night's Committee of the Whole meeting.

The project is on schedule to decide the future of Oswego's water by the end of the year, village documents show. In mid-2020, the Village Board appointed Mokena-based consultant engineering firm Baxter and Woodman to complete a six-part evaluation study for the village's water source, which officials said might run out in the next several decades.

Due to increased demand, Oswego's existing water source — a deep groundwater aquifer — is at risk of depletion between 2030 and 2050, Patch previously reported.

The village is looking at four options as alternative sources of water: the Fox River, DuPage Water Commission, Joliet Water Commission and Illinois American Water. The cost analysis assumes Oswego will partner with Yorkville and Montgomery to address the new water source.

If officials decide to go with the Fox River, they would have to build three connection points in the river, including an intake pumping station that could pump 25 million gallons of water to a treatment plant each day.

It's estimated it would take 9 to 11 years to construct this alternative. With this option, Oswego would need an intergovernmental agreement with Montgomery and Yorkville where all three would have shared ownership and control of the source, treatment and distribution, according to village documents.

With the DuPage Water Commission, water would be coming from Lake Michigan. Oswego would have no direct ownership or control of the source water, but it would have indirect control of the transmission infrastructure. The estimated timeline for this project is 4 to 5 years — about half the duration of the Fox River project.

If Oswego chooses to go with the Joliet Water Commission, it would have no direct ownership or control of the water source but would have indirect control of transmission infrastructure, similar to the DuPage option. This option would be available no earlier than 2030, officials said.

The treated water network for each option varies from 12.7 miles with the Fox River and 29.1 miles with the DuPage commission. The network is still being determined for the Joliet commission.

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

The Illinois American Water Option is also a possibility, but its cost wasn't discussed at the meeting or made available in the related PowerPoint. With this option — a private utility — Oswego would have no direct ownership or control of the water source and no direct control of the transmission infrastructure. The timeline is still being determined, but it's estimated to take about 4 to 5 years to construct, and the treated water network would be 26.1 miles.

Below is a breakdown of the cost for each option, including the total cost and how much Oswego would contribute.

Fox River

• Total regional improvements subtotal: $261,190,000
  • What Oswego would contribute: $82,650,000 million
• Total internal system improvements subtotal: $297,780,000
  • What Oswego would contribute: $113,610,000

DuPage Water Commission

• Total regional improvements subtotal: $189,500,000
  • What Oswego would contribute: $53,413,000
• Total internal system improvements subtotal: $228,830,000
  • What Oswego would contribute: $73,100,000

Joliet Water Commission

• Total regional improvements subtotal: $252,040,000
  • What Oswego would contribute: $83,637,000
• Total internal system improvements subtotal: $310,390,000
  • What Oswego would contribute: $114,010,000

Baxter and Woodman's final report will be given at an upcoming board meeting — for which a date has yet to be announced — where board members will choose a preferred water option. From there, they will also continue to coordinate a decision with Montgomery and Yorkville and plan formal negotiations to move forward with the plan, according to village documents.

Residents can find a PowerPoint with further details about the cost analysis on the village's website.

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