The scope and cost for building Yorkville’s new water towers
Yorkville, Illinois is investing $224.4 million into new water delivery infrastructure, including water towers and receiving stations, to ensure Lake Michigan water delivery by 2028. The project is on schedule, with new water rates helping to fund the development. The city has also implemented requirements for data centers to be water-efficient.
The city of Yorkville, Illinois, is undertaking a substantial $224.4 million investment in its water delivery infrastructure to facilitate the arrival of Lake Michigan water by 2028. This comprehensive project, which includes new water towers and receiving stations, is reported to be on schedule, according to Brad Sanderson of Engineering Enterprises Inc., the city's engineer.
Key components of the project include a new northwest water tower designed to hold 2 million gallons, a north water receiving station at the Grande Reserve water treatment plant, and a standpipe-style water tower near U.S. Route 71 with a capacity of one million gallons. The DuPage Water Commission has also confirmed that pipeline extensions from Naperville to Oswego, Montgomery, and Yorkville are on track. The city is funding the project through a federal loan of approximately $170 million and bond issuances, supported by five consecutive years of 20% water rate increases.
While the infrastructure is designed to accommodate new residential subdivisions, the city had initially planned for a significant influx of water for data centers. However, Yorkville has since mandated that all new data centers must be at least as water-efficient as closed-circuit systems, which use considerably less water. Construction is visibly underway across town, with several sites nearing completion ahead of the targeted fall 2027 infrastructure finish.