By Salem Chicago News Staff
CHICAGO — The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago on Friday issued an Overflow Action Alert as heavy rain swept across the Chicago area, urging Cook County residents and business owners to reduce water use.
The alert aims to help prevent flooding and protect water quality as the district manages billions of gallons of stormwater across its seven water reclamation plants and tunnel systems.
MWRD President Kari K. Steele said the district’s infrastructure is operating at capacity to handle the deluge.
“Our staff is managing billions of gallons of water at our seven water reclamation plants and through our Tunnel and Reservoir Plan which is operating to protect our water environment and mitigate flooding,” Steele said. “We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems.”
The district asked residents to take three specific steps: delay showers and baths, flush less frequently and wait to run dishwashers or washing machines. Those measures help ease the burden on combined sewer systems that carry both wastewater and stormwater, reducing the risk of overflows into local waterways.
The Deep Tunnel System
The Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, commonly known as TARP or the “Deep Tunnel,” is a massive underground system designed to capture and store combined sewage and stormwater during heavy rain events. The system has been a central part of the MWRD’s flood mitigation strategy for decades.
The alert comes just days after officials from the MWRD, the Village of South Holland and Cook County celebrated the completion of the first phase of the Thorn Ditch Flood Mitigation Project at Maicach Park in South Holland on Sept. 15. That eight-year, 11.8-acre project represents one of several ongoing infrastructure efforts to reduce flood risk across the county.
The MWRD, established in 1889, is a special-purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management across Cook County. The district operates facilities that serve approximately 5.25 million residents in an 882-square-mile service area.
How Residents Can Help
Residents can sign up for Overflow Action Alerts through the MWRD website to receive notifications during future heavy rain events. The district also provides resources on its website for understanding local sewer systems, preparing for stormwater and knowing what to do during flooding.
The current alert will remain in effect as rain continues across the region. Residents seeking more information can visit mwrd.org or contact the district’s public affairs office at 312-751-6633.
Source: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
