SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY CONSORTIUM

Mission

Overview

Regional data

Reports and resources

Water quantity management in the region

Our work

Conferences

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission
Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission
Population projections
Regional data

Wisconsin

Population

2000

2030

Difference

% Change

Kenosha

149,577

201,907

52,330

35%

Milwaukee

940,164

999,141

58,977

6%

Ozaukee

82,317

99,816

17,499

21%

Racine

188,831

210,556

21,725

12%

Walworth

92,013

133,275

41,262

45%

Washington

117,496

154,174

36,678

31%

Waukesha

360,767

440,289

79,522

22%

Subtotal

1,931,165

2,239,158

307,993

16%

Illinois

Population

2000

2030

Difference

% Change

Cook

5,376,741

5,938,248

561,507

10%

DuPage

904,161

1,002,325

98,164

11%

Kane

404,119

692,346

288,227

71%

Lake

644,356

844,315

199,959

31%

McHenry

260,077

449,823

189,746

73%

Will

502,266

1,107,778

605,512

121%

Subtotal

8,091,720

10,034,835

1,943,115

24%

Indiana

Population

2000

2030

Difference

% Change

Lake

484,564

504,808

20,244

4%

LaPorte

110,106

114,371

4,265

4%

Porter

146,798

164,915

18,117

12%

Subtotal

741,468

784,094

42,626

6%

TOTAL

10,764,353

13,058,087

2,293,734

21%

From 2000 to 2030, the sixteen county Wingspread region is projected to grow by 2.3 million people or 21 percent. The largest part of the population increase is expected to occur in northeastern Illinois. In percentage terms, and in absolute numbers in many cases, the growth spurt is headed for the outlying counties. McHenry and Kane both will top 70 percent. Will may more than double in population by 2030 and exceed the absolute growth of Cook County, which in 2000 contained ten times more people than Will. Growth will occur in a similar pattern in Wisconsin, but to a lesser extent in northwestern Indiana, which continues to feel the effects of industrial restructuring.

Projections for Wisconsin come from SEWRPC's Technical Report No. 11 (4th Ed.), those for Illinois from NIPC's endorsed forecasts of 2003, and Indiana's projections from NIRPC's preliminary 2030 Connections regional transportation plan. All 2000 figures originate with the U.S. Census Bureau.

Water demand forecasts (public supply)

Wisconsin

2005 - 2025 Change in water demand (mgal/day)

Total percent change

Percent change due to population growth

Percent change due to change in per capita consumption

Kenosha

1.57

9.3%

11.7%

-2.4%

Milwaukee

13.96

8.8%

9.2%

-0.5%

Ozaukee

0.41

5.7%

5.5%

0.3%

Racine

0.94

5.5%

6.0%

-0.5%

Walworth

0.74

10.0%

12.2%

-2.1%

Washington

0.88

7.6%

8.9%

-1.2%

Waukesha

3.92

7.8%

6.5%

1.4%

Subtotal

22.42

8.3%

8.6%

-0.3%

Illinois

2005 - 2025 Change in water demand (mgal/day)

Total percent change

Percent change due to population growth

Percent change due to change in per capita consumption

Cook

142.38

15.5%

5.3%

10.2%

DuPage

52.46

27.8%

11.3%

16.5%

Kane

22.58

32.4%

29.8%

2.6%

Lake

23.39

23.3%

18.2%

5.0%

McHenry

7.79

29.7%

31.3%

-1.5%

Will

26.06

43.9%

48.5%

-4.6%

Subtotal

274.66

20.2%

10.7%

9.5%

Indiana

2005 - 2025 Change in water demand (mgal/day)

Total percent change

Percent change due to population growth

Percent change due to change in per capita consumption

Lake

-1.67

-2.3%

2.7%

-5.0%

LaPorte

-0.27

-2.8%

2.0%

-4.9%

Porter

0.32

2.5%

9.0%

-6.4%

Subtotal

-1.62

-1.7%

3.4%

-5.2%

TOTAL

295.46

17.1%

10.0%

7.1%

Projections of future water demand can be made at the county level using existing data. These forecasts are for public supply, that is, for drinking water and non-self-supplied industrial usage, and are derived from Southern Illinois University's Countywide Projections of Community Water Supply Needs in the Midwest. Unfortunately they cover a shorter period of time than do the population projections, but they have the merit of employing a more sophisticated technique than the main alternative, applying constant historical per capita withdrawal rates to population forecasts for 2030. For one, the researchers consider the effect of changing per capita usage rates, which they estimate based on a long-term conservation trend, the ratio of employment to population, temperature, and so forth. The model does not consider changes in the price of water.

Ten of the sixteen counties in the SLMRWSC region are expected to show declining per capita consumption, but population growth more than offsets that effect in all except two counties. The forecasts suggest that, in the absence of future demand reduction through conservation techniques (or from the increased unit costs of providing new supply), almost 300 million new gallons of water per day (mgal/day) will be needed in the region.