Latest news with #MWRD
Chicago Tribune
30-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
La Grange Park funds flood relief project, OKs local grocery tax
A project in La Grange Park meant to address flooding problems won't result in higher water and sewer rates for residents after the La Grange Park Board of Trustees unanimously approved an ordinance to issue $5 million in bonds May 27 to help fund the Central Area Sewer Separation Project. 'The annual debt service on the proposed bonds is anticipated to be nearly equal to the current debt service and therefore no increase in the sewer rate is required,' finance chair Robert Lautner told the board before the vote, referring to 2006 sewer bonds whose debt will be retired this year. The debt service on the 2006 bonds is approximately $390,000 per year. The debt service for the new bonds will be paid for by revenue from the village water and sewer system customers at their existing rate. The current estimated cost of the Sewer Separation Project is $12.5 million. The village had previously accepted $4 million in funding assistance from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and, in doing so, committed the village to issue up to $5 million in bonds to help finance the project. Costs above the $9 million from the bonds and MWRD money will be paid by other grants and village reserves, officials said. The project is designed to provide flooding relief to the area of the Village bounded by 31st Street on the north, La Grange Road on the west, Homestead Road on the south, and the Illinois Harbor Belt railroad on the east. The area contains local low areas, including the intersection of Barnsdale Road and Jackson Avenue, and on Monroe between Forest and Barnsdale roads which have suffered increased flooding in recent years. It was particularly hard hit by the May 17, 2020, floods that devastated parts of La Grange and La Grange Park. Separating the Forest Avenue, Homestead and Barnsdale roads storm sewers from the storm sewers along 31st Street will provide relief to the area, officials said. Tentative estimates indicate the bonds will be put out for sale before the end of July and the bond closing would be by August 18, 2025. In other business, the board addressed a potential budget shortfall by approving a municipal grocery sales tax of one percent. The tax is scheduled to begin January 1, 2026 and will replace the state grocery sales tax that expires at the end of 2025. 'The village's estimated grocery sales tax revenue is between $250,000 and $300,000,' Lautner said introducing the ordinance. He also noted that the village's fiscal year 2025-2026 budget approved the grocery sales tax as revenue in the General Fund. 'As a resident and a taxpayer, I hate that we have to continue this tax and potentially miss the opportunity that we might be able to save a little,' Lautner said. 'But the other side of that coin is that to lose the significant revenue of over a quarter million dollars would have a direct impact on the services this village provides, and that's something we cannot afford to do.' The tax was approved unanimously, but some trustees did so grudgingly. 'I see no way around it, so I'm going to support it,' Trustee Michael Sheehan said. His colleague Karen Koncel called it 'a necessary evil.' 'I know we need the revenue, but this is definitely not my way of pursuing that revenue,' she said. The next La Grange Park Village Board meeting will be 7:30 p.m., June 10 at 447 N. Catherine Ave.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
As heavy rain soaks Chicago area, officials issue "Overflow Action Day" to urge people to use less water
Even before steady and often heavy rainfall began falling across the Chicago area on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District was urging people to cut down on their water use, to help limit flooding . The MWRD handles stormwater management and wastewater treatment in the Chicago area, and issued an overflow action alert on Tuesday in an effort to prevent flooding by limiting how much water goes into the sewer system. On days like Wednesday, when it's constantly raining, the MWRD water waste control room stays on high alert. Officials said there have been more weather alerts in recent years. While it might not be the first thing on your mind when you wake up on a rainy day, running your dishwasher and washing clothes are chores the MWRD wants Chicagoans to avoid on Wednesday. "Also, take shorter showers; anything you can do to make sure we have more space available in those local sewer lines so that water can get to the MWRD," said MWRD president Kari Steele. The number of overflow action alerts issued by MWRD has been rising. "It's not that often, but it is picking up more now, because of climate change. We're starting to see more extreme rain events in the Cook County area," Steele said. The MWRD's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also known as TARP or "The Deep Tunnel," is designed to reduce flooding and pollution caused by combined sewer overflows. The Deep Tunnel system is designed to capture stormwater and sewage that otherwise would flow into local lakes and rivers – or into basements – when heavy rain overwhelms sewers. TARP has three reservoirs that receive and store the flow from the tunnels during heavy storms. "Our Thornton Reservoir is just at about 2% capacity full, and the McCook Reservoir is at about 20% capacity," Steele said. As of Wednesday morning, the Majewsi Reservoir near Elk Grove Village was empty, but with the rain event being unpredictable, that's why the MWRD sends out overflow action day alerts before storms arrive. "It's very important that we have space available in the local sewer lines so that it can travel to the MWRD and stay out of those unwanted places, like our basements," Steele said. The overflow action day alert will stay in effect until after the storm ends. Officials typically keep such alerts in place for several hours, or even day or two after a big storm ends since stormwater will continue flowing into sewers long after rainfall is over. The Tunnel and Reservoir Plan has been around since 1985. It has 109 miles of tunnels, some as large as 33 feet in diameter.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
MWRD, Forest Preserves partner in flood control study focused on southeast suburbs
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Forest Preserves of Cook County are partnering in a flood relief study in the southeast suburbs that could bring a new reservoir. The two agencies announced a 20-month study to assess the potential for the district and forest preserves coordinating and sharing costs for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of a Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir. If feasible, the system would provide naturalized stormwater storage for flood-prone communities in Glenwood, Ford Heights, Lansing, Thornton, South Holland, Calumet City, Dolton and unincorporated areas. The proposed project could cover nearly a square mile area along Deer Creek and Third Creek within the Little Calumet River Watershed near Glenwood and Ford Heights, where stormwater storage can help mitigate increasing flooding concerns, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. The reservoir would be located roughly near Cottage Grove Avenue between Glenwood Dyer Road and Lincoln Highway within the Deer Creek Watershed in Cook County, according to the MWRD, but many of the specifics will be researched during the study. The district said the reservoir might not be a single water-holding structure but could include adjacent wetlands, creeks, ponds and lakes. The MWRD said new rainfall data published by the Illinois State Water Survey in 2020 shows raised flood elevations along the Little Calumet River in South Holland, Dolton, Calumet City and Lansing. Flood waters from Deer Creek and Third Creek flow into Thorn Creek before reaching the Little Calumet River. Proposed channel improvements along Deer Creek would direct flood water into new flood storage areas adjacent to the creeks. The new stormwater conveyance and storage improvements would give the region more room to accommodate increasing stormwater demands, according to the MWRD and forest preserves district. The land in the project could potentially be larger than one square mile, which would accommodate more than 500 million gallons of naturalized stormwater storage, according to the agencies. In planning stormwater projects, the MWRD has said it looks at the increased frequency of major storm events in the Chicago area, including one-day and multiday storms that can overwhelm sewer systems in older communities. In some suburbs, combined sewer systems carrying both sanitary and storm water lead to a combination of backups of sewage and rainwater. As part of its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also referred to as Deep Tunnel, the MWRD built the Thornton Reservoir on the north side of Interstates 80/94 in South Holland. It was designed to divert both sanitary and stormwater flow from Chicago's South Side and south suburbs and has a capacity of just under 8 billion gallons. In September 2022, the district completed work on the Thorn Creek overflow tunnel that diverts stormwater from the creek into the reservoir. Along with the Thornton reservoir, the MWRD operates smaller reservoirs in Ford Heights, Hazel Crest, Lynwood, Markham and Tinley Park that have a combined capacity of just under 1 billion gallons and handle stormwater runoff from the Little Calumet River watershed. The proposed Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir has already received grant funding assistance through the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government's COVID-19 assistance program, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the MWRD. The committed budget for the 20-month feasibility study is $1.7 million, excluding construction costs, according to the district. Between the resecue plan funds and FEMA, more than $1.2 million has been obligated to fund preliminary work, including the study, according to the district. The MWRD will pay for the remaining costs of the feasibility study, but the overall estimated cost of the project has not yet been determined. The MWRD and forest preserve district said they will continue to pursue additional funding assistance for future phases of the project. Once the feasibility study concludes in the fall of 2026, community meetings will be held to gather public input, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. In June 2023, the MWRD authorized a negotiation of an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserves to study flood control in the southeast suburbs. The agreement, formalized this past May, calls for the MWRD to pay for concept planning and preliminary engineering design while the Forest Preserves will pay for acquiring property.
Chicago Tribune
09-02-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
MWRD, Forest Preserves partner in flood control study focused on southeast suburbs
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Forest Preserves of Cook County are partnering in a flood relief study in the southeast suburbs that could bring a new reservoir. The two agencies announced a 20-month study to assess the potential for the district and forest preserves coordinating and sharing costs for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of a Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir. If feasible, the system would provide naturalized stormwater storage for flood-prone communities in Glenwood, Ford Heights, Lansing, Thornton, South Holland, Calumet City, Dolton and unincorporated areas. The proposed project could cover nearly a square mile area along Deer Creek and Third Creek within the Little Calumet River Watershed near Glenwood and Ford Heights, where stormwater storage can help mitigate increasing flooding concerns, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. The reservoir would be located roughly near Cottage Grove Avenue between Glenwood Dyer Road and Lincoln Highway within the Deer Creek Watershed in Cook County, according to the MWRD, but many of the specifics will be researched during the study. The district said the reservoir might not be a single water-holding structure but could include adjacent wetlands, creeks, ponds and lakes. The MWRD said new rainfall data published by the Illinois State Water Survey in 2020 shows raised flood elevations along the Little Calumet River in South Holland, Dolton, Calumet City and Lansing. Flood waters from Deer Creek and Third Creek flow into Thorn Creek before reaching the Little Calumet River. Proposed channel improvements along Deer Creek would direct flood water into new flood storage areas adjacent to the creeks. The new stormwater conveyance and storage improvements would give the region more room to accommodate increasing stormwater demands, according to the MWRD and forest preserves district. The land in the project could potentially be larger than one square mile, which would accommodate more than 500 million gallons of naturalized stormwater storage, according to the agencies. In planning stormwater projects, the MWRD has said it looks at the increased frequency of major storm events in the Chicago area, including one-day and multiday storms that can overwhelm sewer systems in older communities. In some suburbs, combined sewer systems carrying both sanitary and storm water lead to a combination of backups of sewage and rainwater. As part of its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also referred to as Deep Tunnel, the MWRD built the Thornton Reservoir on the north side of Interstates 80/94 in South Holland. It was designed to divert both sanitary and stormwater flow from Chicago's South Side and south suburbs and has a capacity of just under 8 billion gallons. In September 2022, the district completed work on the Thorn Creek overflow tunnel that diverts stormwater from the creek into the reservoir. Along with the Thornton reservoir, the MWRD operates smaller reservoirs in Ford Heights, Hazel Crest, Lynwood, Markham and Tinley Park that have a combined capacity of just under 1 billion gallons and handle stormwater runoff from the Little Calumet River watershed. The proposed Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir has already received grant funding assistance through the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government's COVID-19 assistance program, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the MWRD. The committed budget for the 20-month feasibility study is $1.7 million, excluding construction costs, according to the district. Between the resecue plan funds and FEMA, more than $1.2 million has been obligated to fund preliminary work, including the study, according to the district. The MWRD will pay for the remaining costs of the feasibility study, but the overall estimated cost of the project has not yet been determined. The MWRD and forest preserve district said they will continue to pursue additional funding assistance for future phases of the project. Once the feasibility study concludes in the fall of 2026, community meetings will be held to gather public input, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. In June 2023, the MWRD authorized a negotiation of an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserves to study flood control in the southeast suburbs.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What is an ‘Overflow Action Day Alert'?
CHIACGO — When heavy rain is expected in Chicagoland, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago will sometimes issue an 'Overflow Action Day Alert.' The MWRD issues Overflow Action Alerts in an effort to reduce the amount of water in municipal sewers to help mitigate flooding and sewer backups when showers and storms batter Chicagoland. WGN Interactive Radar: Track the weather near you When the alerts are in effect, the MWRD asks residents to take several steps before and during heavy rains to help avoid flooding inside and around homes, including delaying showers and baths, flushing toilets less frequently and waiting to run the dishwasher or washing machine. Full forecast details and more at the On average, the MWRD treats 1.47 billion gallons of wastewater per day, but during storms, the number reaches above 2 billion gallons. After several days of rain, the MWRD has less capacity to hold and treat additional water. Visit the MWRD website to view a full list of actions residents can take to prevent flooding. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
