Romeoville narrows down options for alternate water source

The village is evaluating three options to receive Lake Michigan water

water faucet

The village of Romeoville announced it had narrowed its options for a new water source to three choices.

A representative from Stand Associates presented the firm’s recommendation for the village to further investigate joining the DuPage Water Commission, a regional water commission spearheaded by Joliet or the Northern Will County Water Agency, according to a village Facebook post.

A survey of the groundwater wells which serve the village found they won’t be able to support Romeoville’s existing withdrawal levels by between 2040 and 2070.

Romeoville Mayor John Noak said the earliest a new water system could be fully implemented and “actually coming out of your tap” would be by the end of this decade.

“That’s if everything were to go as smoothly as possible,” Noak said during last week’s meeting.

The DuPage Water Commission provides Lake Michigan water to its customers, as would the regional commission being discussed by Joliet city officials.

Joliet has been exploring the formation of such a commission with other communities including Channahon, Crest Hill, Homer Glen, Minooka, Rockdale and Shorewood.

Romeoville officials said in identifying its potential alternate water sources, staff looked at cost, raw water quality, sustainability, implementation risk, operation and maintenance and its own control over the system.

Village Manager Dawn Caldwell said a recommendation for the top choice is expected to come before the Village Board in the next few weeks.

Residents with questions about the process of selecting a new water source can call the village’s public works department at 815-886-1870.