(65 ILCS 5/11-135-6) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-135-6)

Sec. 11-135-6. Whenever such commission shall pass an ordinance for the construction or acquisition of any waterworks properties, or improvements or extension or mains, pumping stations, reservoirs or other appurtenances thereto, which such commission is authorized to make, the making of which will require that private property be taken or damaged, such commission may cause compensation therefor to be ascertained and may condemn and acquire possession thereof in the same manner as nearly as may be, as provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act. However, proceedings to ascertain the compensation to be paid for taking or damaging private property shall in all cases be instituted in the circuit court of the county where the property sought to be taken or damaged is situated.

In addition, when a Water Commission created under the Water Commission Act of 1985, as amended, requires that public property be taken or damaged for the purposes specified above, such commission may condemn and acquire possession of public property and cause compensation for such public property to be ascertained in the same manner provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act, during such time as the Commission has the power to initiate action in the manner provided by Article 20 of the Eminent Domain Act (quick-take procedure).

In the event a Commission created under the Water Commission Act of 1985 shall determine that negotiations for the acquisition of property or easements for making any improvement which such Commission is authorized to make have proven unsuccessful and the Commission shall have by resolution adopted a schedule or plan of operation for the execution of the project and therein made a finding that it is necessary to take such property or easements immediately or at some specified later date in order to comply with the schedule, the Commission may commence proceedings to acquire such property or easements in the same manner provided in Article 20 of the Eminent Domain Act (quick-take procedure); except that if the property or easement is located in a municipality having more than 2,000,000 inhabitants, the Commission may not commence such proceedings until the acquisition has been approved by ordinance of the corporate authorities of the municipality.

Any commission has the power to acquire, hold, sell, lease as lessor or lessee, transfer or dispose of real or personal property, or interest therein, as it deems appropriate in the exercise of its powers for its lawful purposes. When, in the opinion of a commission, real estate owned by it, however acquired, is no longer necessary, appropriate, required for the use of, profitable to, or for best interest of the commission, such commission may, by resolution, lease such surplus real estate for a period not to exceed 99 years, or sell such surplus real estate, in accordance with procedures adopted by resolution by such commission.

(Source: P.A. 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135-7) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-135-7)

Sec. 11-135-7. Such commission may construct, maintain, alter and extend its water mains as a proper use of highways along, upon, under and across any highway, street, alley or public ground in the state, including highways within a municipality, but so as not to inconvenience the public use thereof, and such commission may construct, maintain and operate any conduit or conduits, water pipe or pipes, wholly or partially buried or otherwise in, upon and along any of the lands owned by the State of Illinois and under any of the public waters therein. However, the right, permission and authority hereby created shall be subject to all public rights of commerce and navigation and the authority of the United States in behalf of such public rights and also the laws of the State of Illinois to regulate and control the same. Notice shall be given to the highway authorities of any municipality, county, township, road district or township district in which such highway, street or public way may be situated at least 60 days before any construction or installation work in such highway or street shall commence. All laws and ordinances pertaining to such work for the protection of the public and of public property shall be complied with except that no fee may be charged such commission for the construction or installation of such facilities in such public places.

(Source: Laws 1961, p. 576.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135-8) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-135-8)

Sec. 11-135-8. Such commission shall have the right to supply water to any municipality, political subdivision, private person or corporation, in addition to the municipalities which have formed the commission, and to construct water transmission and distribution lines within a radius of 25 miles outside the corporate limits of member municipalities for the purpose of furnishing water to any additional entities which contract with the commission for a supply of water, upon such payment, terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon. In addition to the foregoing powers, if there is any municipality within a radius of 25 miles of the corporate limits of the commission which desires not to own or operate a waterworks system, and such municipality adopts an ordinance requesting the Commission to supply water for public and domestic use within such municipality, then any such commission may, when determined by the Commissioners to be in the public interest and necessary for the protection of the public health or in the best interest of the Commission or its environs, enter into and perform contracts, whether long term or short term, with any such municipality, to acquire, construct and operate and maintain its waterworks properties within the corporate limits of such municipality for the purpose of supplying water for public and domestic use to the inhabitants thereof.

Such commission shall have the power to contract with any person, corporation or political subdivision or any municipal corporation or other agency for a supply of water, or to supply water to such person, corporation, municipal corporation or political subdivision. Any such contract made by a commission for a supply of water may contain provisions whereby the commission is obligated to pay for such supply of water without setoff or counterclaim and irrespective of whether such supply of water is ever furnished, made available or delivered to the commission or whether any project for the supply of water contemplated by any such contract is completed, operable or operating and notwithstanding any suspension, interruption, interference, reduction or curtailment of the supply of water from such project. Any such contract may provide that if one or more of the other purchasers defaults in the payment of its obligations under such contract or similar contract made with the supplier of the water, one or more of the remaining purchasers party to such contract or such similar contract shall be required to pay for all or a portion of the obligations of the defaulting purchasers. Any such contract entered into to supply water to a municipal corporation or political subdivision shall provide that the payments to be made thereunder shall be solely from the revenues to be derived by such municipality or political subdivision from the operation of the waterworks system of such municipality or political subdivision, and said contract shall be a continuing, valid and binding obligation of the municipality or political subdivision, payable from such revenues for such period of years, not to exceed 40, as may be provided in such contract. Any such contract shall not be a debt within the meaning of any statutory or constitutional limitations.

No prior appropriation shall be required before entering into such contract, and no appropriation shall be required to authorize payments to be made under the terms of any such contract, notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary.

The changes in this Section made by this amendatory Act of 1984 are intended to be declarative of existing law.

(Source: P.A. 83-1123.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135-9) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-135-9)

Sec. 11-135-9. Whenever a water commission has been constituted pursuant to this Division 135, was functioning as such on July 21, 1959, and thereafter continued to exercise the powers conferred on it at the time it was so constituted, such commission is a valid public corporation, and all acts performed by or on behalf of such commission, or its officers or employees are valid.

In all cases where a municipality which has adopted a resolution or ordinance to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, under the provisions of this Division 135, thereby becoming a member of a water commission, has heretofore adopted an ordinance repealing the aforesaid resolution or ordinance and declaring the termination of membership and withdrawal of such municipality from said water commission; and the said water commission has not at the time of such ordinance acquired a waterworks system or common source of supply of water, as the case may be; and the said water commission duly adopts a resolution finding that the withdrawal of such municipality will not burden or adversely affect the remaining members of said water commission in their efforts to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water or both, as the case may be, and consenting to the withdrawal of such municipality, each such resolution is hereby made a legal and valid consent to the withdrawal of such municipality from the said water commission and such withdrawal is hereby declared legal and valid and effective, and such municipality is hereby declared legally and validly withdrawn from the said water commission and no longer a member or a part of the system and all such water commissions are hereby declared legally and validly organized and established water commissions, and valid and existing water commissions and public corporations under the provisions of Division 135, notwithstanding any such withdrawal.

All actions taken prior to the effective date of this Act by any water commission which has heretofore consented to the withdrawal of one or more of its members in accordance with the procedures described herein, which actions were otherwise valid but for the invalidating effect of the membership or withdrawal from membership of the withdrawing community or communities upon any quorum, voting or other requirement based upon the number of commissioners or commission members, are hereby declared effective, legal and valid, notwithstanding any lack of compliance with any such quorum, voting or other requirement imposed by law or by the rules of the said commission.

(Source: P.A. 82-641.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135-10) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-135-10)

Sec. 11-135-10. The provisions of this Division 135 are subject to the terms and provisions of the Water Commission Act of 1985, as now or hereafter amended.

(Source: P.A. 84-1308.)

(65 ILCS 5/Art. 11 Div. 135.5 heading) DIVISION 135.5. REGIONAL WATER COMMISSIONS (Source: P.A. 102-684, eff. 12-16-21.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135.5-1)

Sec. 11-135.5-1. References to Division. This Division may be referred to as the Regional Water Commissions Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-684, eff. 12-16-21.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135.5-5)

Sec. 11-135.5-5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) It is necessary and in the public interest to help assure a sufficient and economic supply of a source of water of suitable quality within those areas of this State that are dependent on ground water supply from portions of the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer as well as shallow aquifers, and where those aquifers are expected not to be able to provide a sufficient supply of water or water of suitable quality to one or more municipalities which may be located in more than a single county, and where, because of economic development and population growth and proximity to large urban centers, the health, safety, and welfare of the residents is threatened by the continuing reduction in the amount of ground water and quality of ground water that can be obtained from the aquifers.

(2) Because of a need to provide such municipalities a continuing, available, and adequate source and supply of water on an economically viable basis, it is necessary and desirable to establish a different structure for municipalities in the affected region to jointly establish a source of water supply and the necessary waterworks and other supporting facilities as needed to provide a reliable, sustainable, and high-quality source of water on a cost-effective basis.

(3) It is not the intent of the General Assembly to interfere with the structure and operation of other water commissions and county water commissions already existing around the State on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or to interfere with the power of municipalities to provide for the retail distribution of water to its residents or the customers of its water systems.

(4) It is in the State's best interest to provide for a sufficient and economic supply of water to such areas.

(Source: P.A. 102-684, eff. 12-16-21.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135.5-7)

Sec. 11-135.5-7. Definitions. As used in this Division:

"Design-build" means a delivery system that provides responsibility within a single contract for the furnishing of architecture, engineering, land surveying, and related services as required and the labor, materials, equipment, and other construction services for the project.

"Design-build contract" means a contract for a public project under this Division between a commission and a design-build entity to furnish: architecture, engineering, land surveying, public art or interpretive exhibits, and related services, as required; and the labor, materials, equipment, and other construction services for the project.

"Design-build entity" means any individual, sole proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, professional corporation, or other entity that proposes to design and construct any public project under this Division.

"Design professional" means any individual, sole proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, professional corporation, or other entity that offers services under the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989, the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989, the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989, or the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989.

"Evaluation criteria" means the requirements for the separate phases of the selection process as defined in this Division and may include the specialized experience, technical qualifications and competence, capacity to perform, past performance, experience with similar projects, assignment of personnel to the project, and other appropriate factors.

"Proposal" means the offer to enter into a design-build contract as submitted by a design-build entity in accordance with this Division.

"Request for proposal" means the document used by the commission to solicit proposals for a design-build contract.

"Scope and performance criteria" means the requirements for the commission project, including, but not limited to, the intended usage, capacity, size, scope, quality and performance standards, life-cycle costs, and other programmatic criteria that are expressed in performance-oriented and quantifiable specifications and drawings that can be reasonably inferred and are suited to allow a design-build entity to develop a proposal.

(Source: P.A. 102-1134, eff. 2-10-23.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135.5-10)

Sec. 11-135.5-10. Regional water commissions. Municipalities may enter into joint efforts to acquire, develop, and operate a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, through intergovernmental cooperation in a regional water commission as provided in this Division.

(Source: P.A. 102-684, eff. 12-16-21.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-135.5-15)

Sec. 11-135.5-15. Establishment of commission; members; initial costs and funding.

(a) Establishment of commission. Two or more municipalities, at least one of which is located in whole or in part in the county of Cook, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, or Will and has 140,000 or more inhabitants at the time of establishment of a regional water commission, excluding cities of 500,000 or more inhabitants, may acquire, either by purchase or construction, a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, and may operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, and improve and extend the same, as provided in this Division. The municipality meeting the requirement to have 140,000 or more inhabitants as required by this paragraph must have attained that population as of December 16, 2021 (the effective date of Public Act 102-684).

The corporate authorities of the municipalities desiring to avail themselves of the provisions of this Division shall establish a regional water commission by adopting an ordinance determining and electing to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, and approving an intergovernmental agreement among the municipalities establishing the regional water commission. This agreement may be amended at any time upon the adoption, by the corporate authorities of all member municipalities, of ordinances approving the amendment to the agreement.

(b) Addition or withdrawal of members; dissolution. The agreement may provide for additional municipalities to join the commission upon adoption of an ordinance by the corporate authorities of the joining municipality and, upon such consents, conditions, and approvals of the board of commissioners and of existing member municipalities as shall be provided in the agreement. The agreement shall provide the manner and terms on which a municipality may withdraw from membership in the commission and on which the commission may terminate and dissolve in whole or in part.

(c) Filing of agreement. Promptly upon entering into the agreement or any amendment to it, a copy of such agreement or amendment shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. Promptly upon the addition or withdrawal of a municipality, or, upon the dissolution of the commission, that fact shall be certified by an officer of the commission to the Secretary of State.

(d) Development costs. A municipality whose corporate authorities adopted an ordinance and approved an intergovernmental agreement to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, under the provisions of this Division, may from time to time pay, advance, or obligate itself to the commission to bear a proportionate share of the development costs, including principal and interest, of any project proposed by the commission, including plans, feasibility reports, and engineering, even if the project is never constructed or water is never supplied by the commission to such municipality.

Whenever the corporate authorities of a municipality determine that the municipality will pay, advance, or be obligated for its proportionate share of development costs as provided in this subsection, they shall adopt an ordinance declaring their intention that the municipality will do so, fix the maximum amount of the municipality's share of the cost the municipality proposes to pay or that the municipality will advance or to obligate the municipality for, and fix the period over which it is proposed to pay the obligation (not exceeding 10 years), if such obligation is to be paid in installments. The time of payment of any such installment obligation may be extended for a period not exceeding 10 years from the final maturity date of the original obligation. On and after the date such ordinance becomes effective, the municipality shall include an amount sufficient to pay the annual installments of its obligation each year in the next succeeding appropriation ordinances. The commission may require that if any such municipality whose corporate authorities determined to pay, to advance, or to obligate the municipality to the commission for development costs defaults in such payments, advances, or obligations, then the remaining municipalities whose corporate authorities have determined to pay, to advance, or to obligate the respective municipalities to the commission for development costs will be required to pay for all or a portion of the payments, advances by, or obligations of the defaulting municipality. No prior appropriation shall be required for the corporate authorities of a municipality to authorize the payments, advances, or obligations herein provided for.

Whenever the corporate authorities of a municipality have obligated the municipality for development costs as herein provided and after the effective date of the ordinance under which the municipality became obligated for a specific amount for development costs of a project and after approval of such obligation by the commission, the commission is authorized to borrow funds temporarily for payment of such development costs in advance of permanent financing. The commission may from time to time and pursuant to an appropriate ordinance or resolution borrow money and issue its interim notes to evidence borrowings for such purpose, including all necessary and incidental expenses in connection therewith.

An ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of such notes shall describe the project and the development costs to be undertaken and specify the principal amount, rate of interest as authorized under Section 2 of the Bond Authorization Act, and the maturity date, which shall coincide with the due date of the obligations or the installments thereof incurred by the respective municipalities pursuant to this Section not, however, to exceed 10 years from date.

Contemporaneously with the issuance of revenue bonds under Section 11-135.5-30, all outstanding interim notes issued for development costs of a project though they have not then matured shall be paid, both principal and interest to date of payment, from funds derived from the sale of revenue bonds for the permanent financing of any such project for which interim notes may have been issued and such interim notes shall be surrendered and cancelled, or, in the alternative, the commission may determine to pay such interim notes out of receipts from other sources available to the commission, including grants and loans.

Whenever a member municipality has incurred development costs for a project and has advanced funds or otherwise obligated itself for the payment of such costs, the commission is authorized to accept assignment of such debt instruments and the payment obligations thereunder and to thereafter make all necessary payments to meet such obligations out of receipts from other sources available to the commission, including grants and loans, or provide for credits against amounts otherwise due to the commission from the municipality, including interest on the amounts due.

As used in this subsection, "development costs" means the costs of development of a project, including debt incurred and principal and interest payments, whether incurred by the commission or a member municipality.

(e) Construction and operating costs. A municipality, the corporate authorities of which adopted an ordinance and approved an intergovernmental agreement to acquire and operate jointly a waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, as the case may be, under the provisions of this Division, may from time to time pay, advance, or obligate itself to the commission to bear a proportionate share of the construction and operating costs of any project proposed by the commission.

Whenever the corporate authorities of a municipality determine that the municipality will pay, advance, or be obligated for its proportionate share of construction or operating costs as above provided, they shall adopt an ordinance declaring their intention to do so, fix the maximum amount of the municipality's share of the cost it proposes to pay, to advance, or to obligate itself for, and fix the period over which it is proposed to pay the obligation, if such obligation is to be paid in installments. On and after the date such ordinance becomes effective, the municipality shall include an amount sufficient to pay the annual installments of its obligation each year in the next succeeding appropriation ordinances. The commission may require that if any such municipality whose corporate authorities determined that the municipality will pay, advance, or be obligated to the commission for construction or operating costs defaults in such payments, advances, or obligations, then the remaining municipalities whose corporate authorities have determined that the municipality will pay, advance, or be obligated to the commission for construction or operating costs will be required to pay for all or a portion of the payments, advances by, or obligations of the defaulting municipality. No prior appropriation shall be required for the corporate authorities of a municipality to authorize the payments, advances, or obligations herein provided for.

Whenever a municipality, through its corporate authorities, has paid, advanced, or obligated the municipality for development, construction, or operating costs as herein provided, the commission may contract with the municipality, on such terms as may be agreed, for the repayment to the municipality by the commission of any payment or advance made by the municipality to the commission and to charge, in addition to all other charges and rates authorized under this Division, such rates and charges for water sold by the commission as shall be necessary to provide for such repayment. In addition, any payment or advance of such costs made by a municipality pursuant to this Section may be repaid by the commission to the municipality: (i) from the proceeds of revenue bonds authorized to be issued by the commission pursuant to this Division; (ii) out of receipts from other sources available to the commission, including grants and loans; or (iii) by the commission providing credits against amounts otherwise due to the commission from the municipality, including interest on the amounts due.

Whenever a member municipality has incurred construction and operating costs for a project and has advanced funds or otherwise obligated itself for the payment of such costs, the commission is authorized to accept assignment of such debt instruments and the payment obligations thereunder and to thereafter make all necessary payments to meet such obligations: (i) from the proceeds of revenue bonds authorized to be issued by the commission pursuant to this Division; (ii) out of receipts from other sources available to the commission, including grants and loans; or (iii) by the commission providing credits against amounts otherwise due to the commission from the municipality, including interest on the amounts due.

As used in this subsection, "construction and operating costs" means the costs of construction and operation of a project, including debt incurred and principal and interest payments, whether incurred by the commission or a member municipality.

(f) Commission facilities. A waterworks system or a common source of supply of water, or both, purchased or constructed by the commission: (1) may be located within or without the corporate limits of any member municipality; (2) may include, or may consist of, without limitation, facilities for receiving, storing, and transmitting water from any source for supplying water to member municipalities and other purchasers of water from the commission; and (3) may include, without limitation, facilities that are developed, acquired, constructed, extended, or improved by the commission that may at any time be owned by another unit of local government if such facilities will serve the waterworks system or provide a common source of supply of water for the commission.

(Source: P.A. 102-684, eff. 12-16-21; 102-1134, eff. 2-10-23.)