When does Lake Michigan water come to Yorkville, Oswego, and Montgomery?
Lake Michigan water is coming to Yorkville, Oswego, and Montgomery through WaterLink, a 30-mile pipeline extension from the DuPage Water Commission that began construction in December 2025 and is expected to be finished in 2028. Oswego is targeting its switchover for spring or summer 2028, while Montgomery’s own website says its change could come as soon as 2032. In the meantime, all three towns are raising water rates to pay for the project, so the water bill that comes with a home is changing before the water does.
By Kealan O’Neil | Updated October 23, 2026
If you’re just starting to look at homes in Chicago’s Western Suburbs, you’ll hear about Lake Michigan water sooner or later. It comes up at showings, in village board coverage, and in conversations with neighbors over the fence. It touches every house connected to city water in all three towns, and most people moving here have never had to think about where their water comes from.
Here’s why it’s happening. Today, these towns pump from deep wells in the Ironton-Galesville aquifer, and the WaterLink project says that source will not be enough to meet future demand. The Village of Oswego says its wells could be at risk of becoming inoperable as soon as 2033, so this is a long-term supply decision, not a cosmetic upgrade.
On Reddit, someone planning a move to the Yorkville and Oswego border asked locals what they should know. One of the most practical replies told them to confirm which library district their exact address falls in, because the two towns differ. Utilities work the same way: the street you pick decides who bills you, how often, and how fast your rates are climbing.
How the Lake Michigan water switch works
You don’t need an engineering degree to follow this, but a few basics will help you read listings and ask better questions.
- Three towns, one pipeline. Oswego, Montgomery, and Yorkville chose the DuPage Water Commission as their supplier in 2021, and the Commission signed contracts with all three in October 2024. According to the Village of Oswego, the towns split the shared pipeline cost 35.36% Oswego, 24.42% Montgomery, and 40.22% Yorkville.
- Where the water comes from. WaterLink explains that the water is treated by the Chicago Department of Water Management, delivered to the DuPage Water Commission, and then pumped through its network out to Kendall County.
- Who bills you. Nothing changes here. WaterLink says each town will keep billing its own customers, buying water from the Commission and charging you for your usage.
- What happens to the wells. WaterLink says each town will keep its existing wells for use in an emergency.
- What you have to do. According to WaterLink, nothing at all to prepare. Your town will share more information as construction nears completion.
The part of the Lake Michigan water plan that affects your budget is the cost. WaterLink says the towns are paying with a mix of federal loans and local funds, and each town’s board or council still sets its own water rates.
5 things buyers miss about Lake Michigan water in Kendall County
None of these should stop you from buying here. They’re the questions that separate a buyer who knows the true monthly cost of a home from one who finds out after closing.
1. Rates are rising before the water arrives
This is the one that surprises people most. You’ll pay for Lake Michigan water for years before a drop of it reaches your tap.
Yorkville is the one to watch most closely right now. The city’s utility billing rates page still lists water rates “as of July 1, 2025”: a $58.27 minimum for the first 350 cubic feet on each two-month bill, then $7.28 per 100 cubic feet. Ordinance 2025-54, passed in June 2025, set the next step at $68.97 and $9.10, then $79.67 and $10.92 in 2027, $92.45 and $13.10 in 2028, and $107.73 and $15.72 in 2029, followed by 3% a year through 2064.
That next step keeps moving. The City Council pushed it from May 1 to July 1, 2026, then to September 1, and a proposed ordinance on the October 27, 2026 City Council agenda would push it to November 1, 2026. City staff say Yorkville closed a federal WIFIA loan of about $170 million on September 3, 2026, that final construction bids came in below the most recent estimate, and that a revised rate plan is expected in November or early December 2026.
In Oswego, a 2023 rate ordinance raises water and sewer rates every January 1 through 2031, and the village’s study estimated utility bills would rise about 4.5% to 6% a year over that stretch. For 2026, the regular water rate is $8.39 per 1,000 gallons for the first 15,000 gallons on each two-month bill and $8.72 above that, plus a $10.35 water availability charge for a standard 3/4-inch meter. Oswego also puts all of its real estate transfer tax revenue into the water fund.
In Montgomery, the village’s posted fee schedule raised the monthly residential base charge from $10.20 to $17.40 on May 1, 2026, with usage moving from $8.67 to $8.93 per 1,000 gallons. The same schedule shows the base charge reaching $24.60 and usage reaching $9.20 on May 1, 2027, and it keeps climbing each May through 2033.
The takeaway: treat water as a line item that grows every year, like property taxes, not a fixed utility you can forget about.
2. The timeline is different in every town
“2028” gets repeated a lot, and it’s the right year for the pipeline. WaterLink expects construction to wrap up in 2028, after which the towns can connect to the new source. Oswego’s new water source page targets a switchover in spring or summer 2028.
Montgomery is on a later Lake Michigan water track. The village says it is preparing to move off the aquifer as soon as 2032, and that state water officials see wells in the area at risk of inoperability by 2050. If you’re comparing a home in Montgomery to one in Oswego, you could be paying into the project for several more years before Lake Michigan water reaches your faucet.
That isn’t a reason to avoid either town, and Lake Michigan water will reach both. It’s a reason to ask the right question for the specific address, rather than assuming one date fits all of Kendall County. Our Yorkville area guide is a good starting point for the rest of the local picture.
3. Your address decides who sends the bill
Two homes a mile apart can have very different utility setups. Start with whether the home is inside city limits. Yorkville adds a $6.70 base charge for customers outside city limits, and Montgomery’s usage rate for non-residents is $10.36 per 1,000 gallons, compared with $8.93 for residents.
Sewer treatment is often a separate bill. In Oswego and Montgomery, Fox Metro Water Reclamation District bills you every other month for treatment, based on your water usage, in addition to the village bill. In Yorkville, the city bills residential customers for the Yorkville-Bristol Sanitary District, but Grande Reserve is served by Fox Metro, which bills on its own.
Billing cycles differ too. Yorkville and Oswego bill every two months, while Montgomery moved to monthly billing in January 2022. Yorkville measures in cubic feet, while Oswego and Montgomery bill in gallons, so compare carefully.
Montgomery utility customers in Boulder Hill also pay a $15 monthly infrastructure fee, and an older home there is a good candidate for a sewer scope inspection.
If you’re looking at acreage in unincorporated Kendall County, the home may be on a private well and septic system instead, and Lake Michigan water won’t apply. In that case, a septic inspection in Kendall County matters far more than city water rates.
4. That water softener may not be worth much
Well water here is hard. The Village of Oswego lists its water hardness at 13.3 grains per gallon, drawn from eight deep wells, which is why you’ll find a softener in a lot of basements here.
WaterLink says Lake Michigan water is softer, with less calcium and magnesium, and that residents may be able to remove their water softeners after checking with their town. Oswego’s page goes further, noting soft water lets users dispose of softeners and filters, with minimal mineral buildup on plumbing and appliances.
So don’t overvalue a brand-new softener when you compare homes, and don’t let a seller price one in as a major upgrade. Ask whether the softener is owned or rented, because a rental contract is something you’d have to take over or cancel. If you’re weighing a newer home against an older one, it’s one more line in the new construction vs. resale comparison.
One more detail worth knowing: the U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA require a corrosion control study when a town changes its water source. Pipes from Oswego, Montgomery, and Yorkville have been run through that testing, and the towns will add treatment as needed.
5. Construction will be part of daily life for a while
Lake Michigan water also means years of digging. In Oswego, the village is replacing water mains along Madison Street and Main Street through August 2027, with detours, and converting three well sites into receiving stations at Ogden Falls, 700 Cole Avenue, and Tuscany Trail, with Commission meter stations planned for 2026 and 2027.
WaterLink’s October 9, 2026 construction update listed active work on Book Road and 95th Street in Naperville and in Oswego near Harvey Road and Wolf’s Crossing Road, where crews are installing 36-inch main heading west. If you’ll commute along one of those roads, drive it at rush hour before you buy, and check the construction updates page on the WaterLink site.
How to check water costs on any home you tour
Until Lake Michigan water arrives, here is the quick routine I suggest for any home you’re serious about, whether it’s in Yorkville, Oswego, or Montgomery:
- Confirm who provides the water. Find out which town bills the address, whether it’s inside city limits, and which district handles sewer treatment.
- Ask for 12 months of bills. Request recent water and sewer bills through the listing agent so you can see real usage across seasons.
- Pull the current rate schedule. Use the town’s own rate page, such as the Montgomery utility billing page, and note any increases already scheduled or postponed.
- Look at the water equipment. With Lake Michigan water on the way, note the softener, whether it’s owned or rented, and the age of the water heater during your showing and inspection.
- Plan the final water bill. Your attorney orders a final reading before closing. Montgomery, for example, asks for final bill requests at least three full business days in advance.
That final bill is one of several small items that show up on the settlement statement, along with the other buyer closing costs you’ll want to plan for.
Lake Michigan water questions buyers ask in Yorkville, Oswego, and Montgomery
These are the questions I hear most from people who are new to the area and just starting to look.
When will Yorkville get Lake Michigan water?
What are Yorkville’s water rates right now?
Will my water bill go down after the switch?
Do I need to remove my water softener?
Does the switch affect homes on private wells?
Start with the real monthly cost
The Lake Michigan water project is good news for the long-term supply in Yorkville, Oswego, and Montgomery, but it changes the monthly cost of owning a home here, and it changes it differently by address.
If you’re just starting to think about a move to Kendall County, I’ll show you how to read the utility picture on any home you’re curious about, along with taxes, commute, and the rest of what you’ll pay, with no pressure and no commitment. If you’re still getting your bearings, our relocation services page is a good place to start. Call or text Kealan at 630-425-8815.
About Kealan O’Neil
Kealan O’Neil is the Designated Managing Broker and founder of O’Neil Property Group, an independent real estate brokerage based in Yorkville, Illinois. He and his team help buyers and sellers in Yorkville, Oswego, Montgomery, and the surrounding Kendall and Kane County communities, and he owns and manages a local rental portfolio, so he approaches every decision as both a broker and an investor. Call or text Kealan at 630-425-8815.
This post is general information about real estate in the Fox Valley, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Real estate laws, tax rules, and municipal ordinances change, and how they apply depends on your specific situation. Talk with a licensed attorney, CPA, or lender before making decisions about a purchase, sale, or tax matter. O’Neil Property Group is a licensed Illinois real estate brokerage.