After a water main break in a subdivision in Yorkville a few weeks ago, the city is gearing up for an infrastructure overhaul.

The water main replacement project follows three years of “aggressive water main replacement” as the city aims to replace aging leak-prone pipes that costs residents money every year.

The replacements also help the city meet the requirements for the Lake Michigan water sourcing project.

The City Council recently approved a $129,528 engineering agreement with Engineering Enterprises, Inc. for improvements in water mains running near both Wildwood I and Wildwood II subdivisions. The new pipes will feature a connection to the Illinois Route 126 water main.

“With the multiple failures of some water main in Wildwood I over the past decade and the main break in Wildwood II just a couple weeks ago, it cemented the need for replacement,” Public Works Director Eric Dhuse said in city documents.

The water main along Route 126 was installed by a construction crew earlier this year.

Dhuse said the improvements will ease pressure spikes, which are one of the main causes of water main breaks. He said the project’s improvements to the site’s infrastructure enables crews to replace water mains internally throughout the subdivisions next year.

Game Farm Road and the Beecher Center

The city also approved a $161,013 engineering agreement with Engineering Enterprises Inc. focusing on the 2027 water main replacement program around the area of Game Farm Road and the Beecher Center.

Construction crews will be working on water main replacements along Game Farm Road, from Illinois Route 31 to the Beecher Center. Pipes around the Beecher Center are also being replaced.

“After three years of aggressive water main replacement, the 2027 program scales back slightly while still providing a good amount of water main replacement each year,” Dhuse said.

As part of the city’s transition to Lake Michigan water, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources requires the city reduce non-revenue water loss to under 10%. Leaky pipes are one of the main causes of water loss.

To meet the requirement, the city is replacing older, cast iron water pipes that are prone to breaks and leaks.