Joliet City Council Considering Water Rate Increase

A consulting firm hired by the city of Joliet is asking the City Council to raise water rates for Joliet customers to continue to fund the city’s effort to bring Lake Michigan to the city by 2030.  The consulting firm Burns/McDonnell has asked the city to increase water rates by 10.5% and sewer rates by 3.0%. It was in 2019 that a 3-year rate plan was adopted, and now that those three years have passed, the firm is asking the city to conduct a more comprehensive rate study. The new research would update the city on the financial plans for the current costs associated with bringing Lake Michigan water to the city.

If the rate increase were approved, the city would see the average monthly water bill increase by $5. The current average bill in Joliet is $80 a month, while the average around the Will County area is $92 a month. In order to meet the consultant deadline of November 2022, the city would have to have a rate ordinance on the agenda by July 19th.