Hammond mayor wants to sell raw water to Joliet

HAMMOND, Ind. - Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. wants to sell water from the Indiana city to Joliet in neighboring Illinois.

McDermott Jr. said this week that Joliet is considering Hammond and Chicago as options for a new water source, the (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

City officials in Joliet began studying alternative water source options in 2018 because its underground aquifer that supplies water to its residents is expected to dry up by 2030.

Raw water from Hammond would come from an intake along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Indiana. The water then would be pumped to Joliet’s water facilities, according to Joliet’s RethinkWaterJoliet website.

The water intake would have to be constructed.

The conceptual implementation costs range from $900 million to $1.1 billion depending upon capacity, the website said.

The other option is finished water from Chicago which would cost $500,000 to $600,000, Joliet officials said.

Pumping facilities and transmission mains would need to be built to bring the water to Joliet and move it through the city’s water system.

Hammond also sells to Lansing, Calumet City, Chicago Heights and other nearby Illinois communities.

Offers from Chicago and Hammond could be presented before the Joliet City Council next month.