Recent actions by the EPA and environmental groups have pressured the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to limit the discharge of untreated sewage into the Chicago River. Extreme storm events cause additional burdens on the sewer system, causing untreated overflows to fill Chicago’s rivers and Lake Michigan with untreated water. A New York Times article outlines the facts of the current situation. According to water reclamation district officials, costs of water treatment would be $23 million a year, in addition to $500 million in capital costs. They contend that the Deep Tunnel project, a program designed to capture storm water overflows in rock quarries and tunnels, is the solution to controlling runoff. Planned for completion in 2029, the project does not guarantee the prevention of runoff from entering the river and the lake. The system of pipes and sewers leading to the tunnels and reservoirs may not be able to handle the storm water’s high flow rate. The city must plan for additional ways to prevent overflows.
Other proposed solutions include implementing green infrastructure in Chicago. As of 2010, the progress report of Chicago’s Climate Action Plan shows that since 2008, 265 development projects were addressed under the city’s storm water management ordinance. Chicago has seen an increase in over 55 acres of permeable surface area, the installation of 120 green alleys (32,000 square feet), and 4 million square feet of green roofs. All of these systems increase the amount of water absorbed or slowed by natural drainage processes, thus decreasing the burden on sewer systems.
The EAF group has focused on similar green infrastructure measures. Bryn Adams summarizes consumer willingness-to-pay estimates across various cities of the United States for participation in municipal rain barrel programs. Rain barrels decrease the burden of storm runoff on city infrastructure much like permeable pavement and green roofs. On June 9, 2011, EAF is co-sponsoring the forum Sustaining the triple bottom line: the full value of water resources. Click here to learn more about the event and how it plans on addressing water resource issues through private and public sector incentives.