Lauren Underwood

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, wants to make sure that Oswego, Yorkville and Montgomery will have a sufficient supply of drinking water for years to come as the area continues to grow.

Their current water source, the Ironton‑Galesville deep sandstone aquifer, will be unable to meet projected demand as early as 2050, with some Oswego wells at risk as early as 2033.

On Thursday, Underwood presented leaders from the three communities with just more than $1 million in federal funding for water infrastructure upgrades that will allow the three communities to store and clean water from Lake Michigan.

“I made it a priority to make sure that we’re supporting these folks in Yorkville, Oswego and Montgomery with the DuPage Water Commission project,” Underwood said following a tour of the Ogden Falls Receiving Station on Ogden Falls Boulevard in Oswego, which is part of the Lake Michigan water project.

“The aquifers are running dry. It’s time. I’m excited to be able to be here and see the progress,” she said.

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman noted that Underwood has been a big supporter of the project for the three communities. He talked how the Ogden Falls Receiving Station figures into the project.

“The pipeline currently ends in Naperville,” he said. “And it is coming from Naperville into Oswego and then there’s going to be a spur that goes into Montgomery and a spur that goes into Yorkville. But it really starts here. So this is the jumping off point, if you will.”

In June, officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at Oswego East High School for the 30-mile, nearly $400 million Lake Michigan transmission main extension to provide Lake Michigan water to the three communities.

The WaterLink project will construct approximately 30 miles of new transmission main, expanding the Lake Michigan service area westward. The project is also being funded through U.S. Environmental Protection Agency loans as well as financing from the Illinois State Revolving Fund and local general obligation bonds.

“WaterLink represents more than just an infrastructure project,” DuPage Water Commission chairman Jim Zay told those attending the ceremony. “It’s a lifeline for our communities by securing access to clean water. We’re investing in public health, economic growth and environmental resilience. This marks the beginning of a project that will serve generations to come.”

Construction kicked off in December, and teams currently are working along Book Road and at the intersection of 95th Street and Wolf’s Crossing Road in Naperville.

The project is expected to bring Lake Michigan water to the three communities by 2028.

“It is scheduled to be done in the winter of 2027,” Kauffman said. “However, we cannot flip the switch to change the source over from groundwater to Lake Michigan water until the spring/summer of 2028 due to the temperature differential in the groundwater and Lake Michigan water.”

The Grand Prairie Water Commission is working to provide Lake Michigan water to Joliet and five other communities – Channahon, Crest Hill, Minooka, Romeoville and Shorewood.

The goal is for the communities in the commission to have Lake Michigan water by 2030. Underwood also was able to secure just more than $1 million in federal funding for that project.

Lake Michigan water has been described as being softer and having a more neutral taste because of lower levels of calcium and magnesium.