Politics & Government

Joliet Taking a lot of Crap From Shorewood

The Village of Shorewood bought quite a bit of sewage capacity from the City of Joliet. Because it can.

Joliet may not be down hill from Shorewood in the literal sense, but the village struck a deal to send its sewage rolling that way all the same.

The village board approved a measure to buy enough wastewater capacity to treat 2,080,000 gallons of sewage a day.

Shorewood is going to pay Joliet $338,453.20 twice a year for the next 20 years in exchange for the sewage space.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The deal doubles the sewage capacity Shorewood is already purchasing from Joliet.

During Tuesday night's village board meeting, Shorewood Mayor Rick Chapman said the agreement, which was approved on Joliet's end last week by its city council, will prove to be an environmental boost for Shorewood.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Along with that, it's the economy of scale," Chapman said. "When we flush, do we really care? I don't. We just go."

Chapman also noted that a "lot of work" went into the sewage treatment deal, and that it turned out to be a "very in-depth agreement."

Not only that, the Mayor said, but the wastewater capacity purchase was a "driving factor" in the 1 percent village sales tax that went into effect July 1.

But sales tax hike or not, the agreement benefits Shorewood, Chapman said.

"It's a good deal for both the city and the village," he said.


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