Stantec helps Grand Prairie Water Authority secure US$610 million infrastructure loan

In support of major infrastructure upgrades in northeastern Illinois, Stantec helped the Grand Prairie Water Commission secure a US$610 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan. The funding will support the Commission’s Alternative Water Supply Program, which will transition almost 300,000 residents to reliable, high-quality Lake Michigan water. 

The secured funding will benefit six communities that make up the Grand Prairie Water Commission—the cities of Crest Hill and Joliet, and the villages of Channahon, Minooka, Shorewood, and Romeoville. The communities currently rely on groundwater sources for drinking water. Declining aquifer levels and water quality concerns, however, have created a need for a new source. With the help of the WIFIA financing, the Commission will construct a 62-mile regional water transmission network and upgrade other water infrastructure systems. 

Stantec oversees development, engineering, construction, financing, and outreach for the new regional water system. The team has supported project funding for numerous clients in the past, including securing nearly $640 million of WIFIA funding for the Willamette Water Supply Program and $275 million of WIFIA funding for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans.