PUBLIC UTILITIES ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive the DuPage Water Commission Activity Report
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DEPARTMENT: Water Utilities
SUBMITTED BY: Darrell Blenniss, Director Water Utilities
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The DWC is currently executing two significant long-term projects. The WaterLink Project is a 30-mile infrastructure extension designed to supply Lake Michigan water to the communities of Oswego, Montgomery, and Yorkville. This project addresses the depletion of the deep sandstone aquifer in that region and utilizes Naperville as a key transmission corridor.
Concurrently, the Alternative Water Supply Project (Lake Michigan Water Supply Initiative) is in the planning phase. This initiative explores the feasibility of developing a direct connection to Lake Michigan to provide "source-to-tap" control by the year 2041, aiming to stabilize long-term costs and enhance regional water security.
DISCUSSION:
WaterLink Project Status as of January 2026, the WaterLink Project has transitioned from the engineering design phase into active construction. Phase II Engineering services are substantially complete, with approximately 95% of the contract budget expended. Extensive data collection, including the survey of over 1,000 structures and "potholing" of existing utilities, has been conducted to minimize construction risks.
Construction activity is now visible within Naperville limits. Work on the "Book Road" segment (Contract TW-6 Section 1) is underway. Following a value engineering review, the Commission opted for open-cut trenching in this area, which necessitates the partial road closures currently in place between 75th Street and 83rd Street. These closures are expected to persist through the spring of 2027.2 Staff notes that the Commission is also addressing complex utility coordination in this corridor, particularly regarding the electrical duct banks along 75th Street.
Frontier Park Coordination The pipeline route traverses the Frontier Sports Complex (Contract TW-6 Section 2A/2B). A pre-construction meeting for this section was held in December 2025, and work is mobilizing. A critical environmental constraint requires that all tree clearing be completed before April 1, 2026, to protect local bat populations.
Staff is monitoring the coordination between the DWC and the Naperville Park District to ensure that the pipeline easement aligns with the Park District’s future capital plans. This is particularly relevant given the Park District’s upcoming March 2026 bond referendum, which proposes a new indoor activity center at this location.
Alternative Water Supply Project (2041 Vision) The DWC continues to advance its study of a direct Lake Michigan connection. The Technical Advisory Team has finalized a Business Case Analysis suggesting that, after a 35-year debt repayment period, a new independent supply is likely to provide a competitive price and improved control when compared to forecast Chicago rates.
A key development is the formalization of the partnership with the Northwest Suburban Municipal Joint Action Water Agency (NSMJAWA). A Steering Committee for this partnership has been established and is scheduled to begin meeting in late January 2026. This collaboration aims to create a system with regional redundancy and mutual support capabilities.
Surplus Land Update in mid-2025, the DWC approved the sale of surplus land along 75th Street to a private developer. The Commission has retained approximately 4.5 acres of the site to maintain essential standpipes and wetlands. This transaction provides capital reserves for the Commission’s improvement projects.