As part of the around $224.4 million Lake Michigan water sourcing project, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources requires cities receiving the water to reduce non-revenue water loss below 10%.

To help meet this standard, the city of Yorkville has been replacing older water mains across town and installing more accurate water meters in homes and businesses throughout the city.

While water leaks are the most common form of water loss, the a new audit will focus on “billing inaccuracies, data errors, or system configuration issues” that also contribute to the city’s reported water loss percentage, according to city documents.

The City Council approved a $60,089 contract with EMA, Inc. to conduct a customer information system billing audit. The city hopes the audit helps reduce water that is delivered but “lost” because it is not accurately measured.

As part of the agreement, the city is finalizing a non-disclosure agreement to protect customer’s utility account information and the city’s data that is required during the audit.

The city will first receive Lake Michigan water down the pipeline by the summer of 2028. The change was necessary because the region’s booming population is unsustainably tapping into the long-used underground aquifer.

“As the city prepares for its transition to Lake Michigan as its long-term water source, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of utility billing and consumption data is increasingly important,”Rob Fredrickson, the city’s finance director, said in city documents. “If left unaddressed, these issues can lead to understated consumption, lost revenue and an inflated non-revenue water loss percentage.”

Examples of potential issues the city hopes to uncover include mismatches between water meters, reads and billing accounts. The audit is also looking for abandoned meters and un-billed or mis-billed accounts, among other data inaccuracies.

To help offset the costs for the necessary water infrastructure, the city recently approved higher water rates for users. Residents will face about 20% annual increases for at least five years.

The Lake Michigan water sourcing project is a joint venture between Yorkville, Oswego and Montgomery hooking up to existing water mains near Naperville owned by the DuPage Water Commission. The three Kendall County communities are sharing costs.

An Environmental Protection Agency loan, through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, can support up to $179.5 million of those costs, leaving the remaining 20% to be financed through Yorkville’s bond issuance and Illinois EPA loan proceeds.