The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $610 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to the Grand Prairie Water Commission, which serves six communities in northeastern Illinois. The funding will help transition nearly 300,000 residents from a declining groundwater aquifer to Lake Michigan as a more reliable source of drinking water.
"No American should worry about the reliability of their drinking water. We are pleased that Grand Prairie Water Commission will use this investment to ensure its water customers have a stable and reliable source of drinking water for current and future generations," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer.
The Grand Prairie Water Commission is comprised of six member communities: the Cities of Crest Hill and Joliet, and the Villages of Channahon, Minooka, Shorewood, and Romeoville. These communities currently rely on a declining groundwater aquifer as their primary source of drinking water. With support from EPA’s WIFIA financing, the commission plans to construct a 62-mile regional water transmission network and upgrade other infrastructure systems as part of its Alternative Water Source Program.
"We thank the USEPA for making this critical funding assistance available and helping to keep the program affordable for our member communities. Fueled by this investment, we look forward to continuing our progress toward delivery of a new, reliable water source by 2030," said Shorewood Mayor CC DeBold, GPWC Board of Commissioners Chair.
EPA’s WIFIA program offers flexibility through customizable repayment schedules and deferred principal payments after construction completion, which is expected to save the commission nearly $300 million over the life of the loan. Since issuing its first loan in 2018, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced $23 billion in financing for water infrastructure projects across the country.
Additional information about this project and other investments is available according to the official roster page.
