DuPage Water Commission

What DuPage Water Commission does

DuPage Water Commission is a state-authorized governmental water commission headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois that operates as the exclusive wholesale supplier of Lake Michigan drinking water to municipalities in DuPage County. Established under the Water Commission Act of 1985 and entering full operation on May 1, 1992, the Commission purchases pre-treated water from the City of Chicago's James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant (the world's largest water treatment plant, with 1.4 billion gallons per day capacity) and redistributes it through dedicated infrastructure to approximately 23 municipalities and additional institutional and private utility customers, collectively serving nearly 750,000 people across more than 300 square miles.

The Commission's infrastructure includes the Lexington Pumping Station (220 MGD daily capacity with 10 pumps and 30-million-gallon reservoir), the DuPage Pumping Station (185 MGD distribution capacity, 30-million-gallon reservoir, and administrative offices), 2.4 miles of 12-foot diameter tunnel constructed 150 feet below surface through limestone, and over 185 miles of transmission and feeder mains. Supporting services include quarterly chemical analysis, monthly bacterial testing, annual Consumer Confidence Reports, the Water Conservation and Protection Program targeting a 10% per-capita usage reduction, the Gold Level Water Ambassador Program with ISAWWA, and educational facility tours.

The Commission's revenue model is wholesale subscription-based, selling water to municipal governments and utilities under long-term Water Purchase Agreements approved by its Board of Commissioners; it does not bill end consumers directly. The Commission maintains stable pricing with only marginal total rate increases since 2015. Recent strategic activity centers on the WaterLink project to extend service to Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville beyond traditional DuPage County boundaries, supported by 40-year and 17-year extensions of the upstream Chicago water supply contract executed in early 2024.

Name

DuPage Water Commission

Legal name

DuPage Water Commission

Website

https://dpwc.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DuPage Water Commission is a state-authorized governmental entity that exclusively wholesales Lake Michigan drinking water, purchased from the City of Chicago, to approximately 23 municipalities serving nearly 750,000 residents across DuPage County, Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utilities

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Retail Programs & Demand Management (conservation programs, rebates, water budgets, drought surcharges) (EUANAIAJ)

Keywords

• Wholesale water supply
• Municipal water utilities
• Water distribution infrastructure
• Water quality monitoring
• Lake Michigan water

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Water Sales: Wholesale water sales to municipal governments and water utilities in DuPage County. The Commission purchases Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago and resells to approximately 23+ municipalities. No direct residential billing - end consumers pay through their municipal utilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DuPage Water Commission purchases Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago (pre-treated at the James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant) and resells it wholesale to 23+ municipal governments and water utilities across DuPage County, Illinois. The Commission operates the second largest water supply system in Illinois, delivering water through pumping stations, tunnels, and 185+ miles of transmission mains to serve nearly 750,000 people across 300+ square miles. End consumers receive water through their local municipal utilities; the Commission does not bill residential customers directly.

Product overview

DuPage Water Commission operates a unified water supply and distribution service for DuPage County, Illinois. The core offering is Lake Michigan water purchased from the City of Chicago, treated at the James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant (the largest water treatment plant in the world), then distributed through the Commission's infrastructure including the Lexington Pumping Station and DuPage Pumping Station via over 185 miles of transmission mains. Supporting services include water quality monitoring, the Water Conservation and Protection Program (WCAPP), Water Ambassador Program in partnership with ISAWWA, and facility tours. Recent expansion includes the WaterLink project to serve Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lake Michigan Water Supply Service Wholesale water supply service providing Lake Michigan water purchased from the City of Chicago (pre-treated at the James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant) to municipalities and water utilities throughout DuPage County, Illinois. The Commission operates the second largest water supply system in Illinois, serving nearly 750,000 people across 300+ square miles through 23+ Water Purchase Agreements.
• Water Quality Monitoring Comprehensive water quality testing and monitoring services including quarterly chemical analysis by the Chicago Water Department, monthly bacterial testing by IEPA laboratories, and annual Consumer Confidence Reports provided to wholesale customers. Water meets or exceeds all Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and EPA regulatory standards.
• Water Conservation and Protection Program (WCAPP) Water conservation program offering educational resources, water calculators, leak detection guidance, sprinkler efficiency tips, and conservation pledges aimed at reducing water usage. The program supports compliance with Great Lakes Compact water conservation requirements applicable to all water utilities receiving Lake Michigan water.
• Facility Tours and Water Education Program Educational walking tours of the DuPage Water Commission facility in Elmhurst, available for youth groups (5th grade and up) and adults in groups of 10-25 people. Tours include the automated 'Water Comes to You' education model and a walking tour of the Pump Station.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water quality meets or exceeds all State and Federal drinking water regulations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers29 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WaterLink PipelinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2024WaterLink project to bring Lake Michigan water to Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville. DWC Board approved Lake Michigan water contract on October 17, 2024. Construction project FW-1/25 Section 4 includes water main in multiple jurisdictions.
• ISAWWA (Illinois Section American Water Works Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Water Ambassador Program partnership since 2022. DWC participates in Gold Level each year. Program elevates public perception, knowledge, and consumer education for water industry.
• City of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 1984Original 40-year water purchase agreement signed in March 1984 to buy Lake Michigan water for redistribution in DuPage County. Extended in 2024 with 17-year extension and additional 40-year extension. City provides water through its lake intake system and the James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant.
• SCARCEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental education organization. DWC partners with SCARCE for water conservation education including Water Immersion Days at schools, Earth Day events, and Growin' Green Garden Market participation.
• The Conservation FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit land and watershed protection organization based in Naperville. Partnership for rain barrel programs and conservation initiatives.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSenseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterSense program partnership promoting water efficiency. DWC participates in Fix a Leak Week and promotes WaterSense labeled products and practices.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Artesian Resources: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving approximately 300,000 people across the Delmarva Peninsula. Comparable regulated water utility with municipal-customer model, conservation programs, and infrastructure-driven operations.
• California Water Service Group: Investor-owned water utility serving approximately 2 million people through regulated municipal service. Comparable business model of providing water service to communities with infrastructure capex programs, conservation mandates, and rate-regulated revenue.
• Middlesex Water Company: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving roughly half a million people in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Comparable in scale to DuPage Water Commission's customer base and in regulated water utility economics.
• SJW Group (Connecticut Water Service): Holding company for regulated water utilities (San Jose Water, Connecticut Water) serving over 1 million people. Comparable regulated water utility with municipal-style customers, conservation programs, and infrastructure-heavy operating model.
• York Water Company: The oldest investor-owned water utility in the United States, serving approximately 200,000 people in Pennsylvania. Comparable in operating a community water utility with infrastructure-heavy assets and regulated, contracted revenue, though at smaller scale.
• Illinois American Water: Privately-held subsidiary of American Water that operates regulated water and wastewater utilities across Illinois, including serving customers in DuPage County. It is both a customer of DuPage Water Commission and a directly comparable investor-owned water utility operating in the same geography.

Others

• Chicago Department of Water Management: Municipal department that supplies Lake Michigan water to DuPage Water Commission via the Jardine Water Purification Plant. Treated as a peer/ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor — it is the Commission's upstream supplier and a comparable municipal water utility operator at city-scale.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water North America: Operates and manages municipal water and wastewater systems across the U.S. under public-private and O&M contracts. Comparable as a wholesale/contract water operator serving municipalities, though organized around outsourced services rather than asset ownership.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility in the United States, serving over 14 million people. Highly comparable in business model (regulated water utility with municipal/wholesale customers) but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Essential Utilities: Multi-state regulated water and natural gas utility (formerly Aqua America) serving roughly 3 million people across multiple states. Directly comparable regulated water-utility model with municipal and residential wholesale/retail customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DuPageWaterComm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dupage-water-commission-illinois
• Instagraminstagram.com/dupagewatercomm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DuPage Water Commission