Will County Gazette

The City of Joliet has been honored with the Environmental Project of the Year Award in the $25 million to $75 million category by the Southwest Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA). This accolade recognizes Joliet's 5-Year Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Program, initiated in 2017. The awards ceremony took place on February 12th at the Patrick Haley Mansion.

The APWA Project of the Year Award acknowledges public works or utilities projects that excel in planning, design, and implementation. Joliet's project aimed at rehabilitating its sanitary sewer system, reducing inflow and infiltration, and minimizing overflows and backups.

The initiative involved approximately $36 million in infrastructure improvements over five years, funded through low-interest loans from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Fund loan program. The city completed rehabilitation across 15 neighborhood basins and enhanced three major interceptors using trenchless technologies to reduce costs and disturbances.

Allison Swisher, Director of Joliet’s Public Utilities Department, highlighted the city's commitment to environmental stewardship and resident well-being. “This project rehabilitated priority target areas and approximately 18% of the City’s sanitary sewer system, helping to reduce the occurrence of sanitary sewer overflows and basement backups.” The project was a collaborative effort between Joliet, its engineering consultant, and local contractors.