CHICAGO’S WATER AGENDA 2003

City of ChicagoRichard M. DaleyMayor

Water Agenda 2003

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Letter from the Mayor 1

Water—Our Greatest Natural Treasure 2

Conserving Water 3

Protecting Water Quality 9

Managing Stormwater 17

Outreach and Mobilization 29

Water Agenda 2003 1

LETTERFRO

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AYOR

Water is our most valuable natural resource and a vital part of Chicago’s past and its future.

It is no coincidence that Chicago was founded at the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. This historic location provides us with drinking water, as well as an unparalleled access toswimming, fishing and sailing, and it helps make Chicago one ofthe most beautiful cities in the world.

But our water resources are vulnerable to pollution, waste and otherforms of misuse, and we must never take them for granted. We havea responsibility to protect, conserve and manage our water wiselyto help improve the quality of life for ourselves and future genera-tions.

With that in mind, we have developed this Water Agenda to guideour water-related decisions for many years. It provides a strategy forkeeping our water safe, clean and plentiful, and for improving theinfrastructure that keeps our homes supplied with water.

I hope our Water Agenda will inspire you to pay more attention tohow we care for this vital resource.

Sincerely,

Richard M. DaleyMayor

Water Agenda 20032

Water—Our GreatestNatural TreasureThroughout history, great cities have always had onething in common: water. Chicago’s world-class statusis owed largely to its position at the confluence of theChicago River and Lake Michigan. These waterwayssignified transportation and trade to Chicago’s settlersand continue to attract millions of visitors to our cityevery year.

Beyond the Lake Michigan shoreline, our waterresources extend throughout, and beneath, the City.They are the Chicago River, Lake Calumet, the CalumetRiver, thousands of acres of wetlands, creeks, streamsand lagoons, as well as canals and channels. Equallyimportant are the thousands of miles of pipes, man-made tributaries, that have—for over 100 years—deliv-ered drinking water and helped us manage stormwater.

These resources are critical to our public health, safety, economy, and quality of life. They provide recreational opportunities like boating, fishing, andswimming. Our waterways provide natural experiencesin an urban setting. We are fortunate to live near someof the cleanest drinking water in the world.

With nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s, and 95 percent of the nation’s, fresh surface water supply,

a walk along the Great Lakes shoreline suggests our waters are vast and inexhaustible.

They are not. We must not take these resources for granted.

Chicagoans before us lifted the City out of a swamp,reversed the Chicago River to protect the drinkingwater supply, and connected us to the Mississippi River.Now the region is building one of the nation’s largestpublic works projects to manage stormwater. Theseengineering fixes are not enough. The challengesahead will once again require us to lead by exampleand demonstrate new ways of thinking about water.

Nearly a century ago, Chicago introduced the first landuse plan for a modern city. Now we must again be forward thinking and chart a course for our importantwater resources. We must take actions now that willbenefit citizens who follow.

Chicago’s Water Agenda 2003, outlines a strategy forcaring for our water resources as a whole. Understandingthat our water resources work as a complex and connected system, the agenda calls for a comprehensiveapproach to the City’s treasured waterways to ensurethat they are conserved for future generations, protectedand improved, and managed so that water can continueto sustain us, connect us as neighbors, and define ourcommunity’s role nationally and internationally

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CONSERVING WATER

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Water ResourcesFrom the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago enjoysaccess to one of the finest water resources in the world—The Great Lakes. The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater supply and95 percent of surface freshwater supply for the UnitedStates. The Great Lakes waters sustain us, as well as the natural world. They also support our needs for recreation, transportation and power.

Twenty percent of the demand for water supply fromthe Great Lakes comes from the Chicago–Milwaukeeregion with a current population of about 8 millionpeople in the six-county Chicago metro region alone.Projections indicate the population of our region mayincrease by more than 20 percent by 2030.

No one is predicting that we are going to drink theGreat Lakes dry, but if we endorse practices to exportour drinking water to more arid regions or allow it tobe sold like a commodity, we will see a reduced sup-ply and an ecosystem out of balance. Only 1 percentof the water in the Great Lakes is renewed each year.Up to 40 percent of that renewal is from groundwaterflowing underground into the lakes—the samegroundwater that is drying up throughout the regiondue to continuing development and wasteful habits.

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Through its Department of Water Management, theCity of Chicago purifies nearly 1 billion gallons of water per day for use by the residents of Chicagoand 124 neighboring suburbs. The distribution system contains 4,200 miles of water mains and 12pumping stations.

Chicago’s Department of Water Management is imple-menting a five-year, $620 million capital improvementprogram that includes replacing approximately 50miles of old leaking water mains every year.Additionally, the Department is helping other units oflocal governments examine their distribution systemsfor leaks. The improvements in Chicago alone will savean estimated 120 million gallons of water each day.

Water Use vs. Population

640

620

660

680

700

720

740

760

780

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2775

2895

2910

1990–2001 Population Increase 4.4%1990–2001 Water Usage Decrease 18.8%

Wat

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1990

2790

2805

2820

285

2850

2865

2880

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

e a r

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Population Data ase on1990 an 2000 census

Water Use vs. Miles of Main Replaced

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1990

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650

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10

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25

30

35

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45

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1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Year

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

1990-2001 Water Main Replacement Increase 206%1990-2001 Water Usage Decrease 18.8%

Act

ion:

The City will continue to reduce water useby aggressively investing in infrastructureupgrades to our water distribution system.The City calls on the Federal government toincrease funding to local water agencies.

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The City will continue to review its procedures andimplement water conservation measures whereverpossible in City buildings and services. Many programsto reduce use in City-owned buildings are alreadyunderway. For example, the Chicago Park District isactively addressing conservation issues by:

• Ensuring that all new drinking fountains haveon/off controls.

• Upgrading 43 swimming pools so that they safely re-circulate water. The Park District will alsoupgrade the remaining 10 pools.

• Installing splash fountains that re-circulate water.

• Disconnecting downspouts that connect to thesewer system on Park District facilities so thatstormwater is used for irrigation and for recharginggroundwater.

The City has already installed many water savingplumbing fixtures in City buildings. In order to lead byexample, the City will also:

• Examine the Building Code for opportunities toallow for more efficient fixtures, like waterless urinals and dual flush toilets.

• Explore the potential of installing gray water systems to irrigate landscaping or for flush toilets inpublic buildings.

• Plant native species that are drought tolerant toreduce the need for watering.

Act

ion: The City of Chicago and its sister agencies

will lead by example in conserving water.

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In Chicago, all industrial water users have water metersand pay for their water based on how much they use.Therefore, these users recognize the value of water. TheCity of Chicago helps businesses save money on waterby developing innovative conservation plans.

Water conservation recently was incorporated into theChicago Department of Environment’s IndustrialEnergy Efficiency Program. The program provides largeindustrial energy users with an energy-and-processaudit and interest-free loans to implement the audit’srecommendations. So far these audits have identifiedalmost 130 million gallons per year in water savings for12 Chicago businesses.

In Chicago, water meters are currently required for:

• Industrial and commercial water users.• New or rehabilitated residential users.• Residential buildings with more than three units.

Still, some residential water customers pay for waterthrough a flat, semi-annual fee. In order to promoteresponsible water use, the City must ensure that all residents recognize the value of the water they use. TheDepartment of Water Management will develop a planto meter all residential water users.

Examples of potential reduction measures includethe following:• Recover and recycle water in industrial processes.• Repair or install cooling towers.• Upgrade valves on process machines.• Savings identified to date from 12 audits = 130 million gallons

of water per year.

Act

ion: The City will develop a plan to ensure that

everyone in Chicago pays for water basedon usage.

Act

ion: The City will continue to conduct audits and

recommend upgrades for large industrialwater users.

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In the wake of commercial attempts to buy large quantities of Great Lakes water to ship overseas, theGreat Lakes governors and the premiers of Ontarioand Quebec have begun negotiating the terms of anamendment to the Great Lakes Charter, which governsthe use of water from the Great Lakes. The amend-ment will set up a framework to control the removal ofwater from the Great Lakes for use outside of the Great Lakes region.

Chicago supports the completion of a bi-national

agreement to protect the Great Lakes water supply

from withdrawal for non-Great Lakes uses. Further, the

City of Chicago calls on the Governors and Premiers to

include local governments in discussions about the

Great Lakes Charter Annex.

Act

ion:

Action: The City will support the GreatLakes Governors and Premiers in their effortto establish a governance system for futurewithdrawals of Great Lakes water.

In 1998, the Province of Ontarioapproved a permit for the NovaGroup, a private company fromOntario, to remove over 150 mil-lion gallons of water from LakeSuperior. The water was to be soldfor irrigation in Asia.

The permit was eventually rescind-ed. However, global and domesticdemand for water, coupled withthe Nova case, brought a greatdeal of attention to the issue andled to efforts to effectively governwithdrawals of Great Lakes water.

For more information and household

conservation tips, contact the City’s Department

of Water Management at

www.cityofchicago.org/WaterManagement

Citizen Action

PROTECTING WATER QUALITY

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Protecting Water Quality Beyond providing a source of safe drinking water,Chicago’s waterways support a wide variety of uses.These uses include recreation, commerce, and habitatfor wildlife. Millions of people visit our shoreline eachyear for fishing, swimming, and boating. Annually,more than 50,000 commercial, recreational, and pas-senger vessels travel the Chicago River. Our waterwaysalso sustain important plant and animal species likeyellow perch, sunfish, bass, trout, ducks, kingfishers,and the endangered black-crowned night heron andyellow-headed blackbird.

In the thirty years since the passage of the Clean WaterAct, the United States has made tremendous progressin improving water quality for these many uses.According to some estimates, since 1970 the number

of fish species in the Chicago River has increased fromapproximately five to more than 60. However, despitethis progress, there remain significant threats to ourwater resources.

Most people think of water pollution as discharge froman industrial process. However, over time federal reg-ulations have greatly reduced the amount of pollutionthat enters our waters from direct sources.

The remaining challenges to our waterways generallycome from smaller and more numerous sources andwill require new thinking.

• Effectively dealing with municipal storm and wastewater

• Keeping our beaches safe and open for swimming

• Addressing pollution that is buried on our river andlake bottoms

• Reducing the pollution that enters our waterwaysfrom the air

• Ensuring that recreational users are being goodstewards

• Eliminating the introduction of harmful invasivespecies

• Reducing the environmental and health risks asso-ciated with international shipping.

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During intense storms, the underground system that manages our stormwater and wastewater canbecome filled. This rainwater/wastewater mix is thendischarged, untreated, into the river and canal system.During extreme storm events, when even the riversbecome full, the rain water/wastewater mixture isreleased into Lake Michigan from the locks that normally separate the rivers from Lake Michigan.

The City will work with MWRD to implement measuresaimed at eliminating this practice, including increasedinvestment in green infrastructure to keep stormwaterout of the system. Strategies for reducing stormwaterinto the system are contained in the StormwaterManagement section.

Act

ion:

The City of Chicago will work with theMetropolitan Water Reclamation District toend the practice of discharging untreatedwastewater into Lake Michigan.

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Every summer millions of people visit Chicago’sbeaches to swim, play volleyball or just relax. The safe-ty of our beaches and our water is important, not justfor drinking but also for these recreational uses. Beachcontamination comes from many different sources.Some are natural, some involve sewage introducedinto the lake from sewer overflows, from boats, orfrom failed, aging infrastructure.

Chicago aggressively manages both the causes ofcontamination and protocols for ensuring public safety.

• The Chicago Park District, which manages theCity’s beaches, uses the most aggressive testingschedule of any community in the region.

• The City has inspected and repaired all sewer infrastructure within one half mile of the LakeMichigan shoreline.

• The Park District will continue to explore the effec-tiveness of a filter netting to prevent excessive bacteria from entering the swimming area.

• The City of Chicago and the Park District will conduct a pilot study on equipment that willreduce the time needed for bacteria test results.

• The City and the Park District are also working withthe United States Geological Survey to create acomputer model that can predict when bacterialevels at the beaches will be unsafe.

Act

ion:

The City calls on the Federal Government toclarify the standards for beach testing andclosures and develop and approve rapidresponse test equipment.

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The Chicago River has undergone a dramatic transfor-mation from its historic use as a means of transportingwastewater to a location for recreational activity. Inaddition to the rapid growth in human activities, theRiver now supports more than 60 species of fish—com-pared to approximately five in 1970.

Despite this improvement, there is still work to be doneto ensure the long-term health of the river and its via-bility as a recreation attraction. The City can have apositive effect on River quality by addressing combinedsewer overflows. In large storms, the City’s sewer sys-tem can become full and result in the discharge ofsewage into the River (See pages 18 and 19). In addi-tion to the long-term plans for addressing this issuethrough hard infrastructure, there is a great opportuni-ty to invest in techniques that effectively managestormwater before it reaches the sewer system.

• The City will expand its use of Green Infrastructuretechniques to reduce the amount of water that flowsinto the sewer system during storms. By utilizinginnovative stormwater management techniques theCity will help reduce the incidences of combinedsewer overflows to the Chicago River.

• The City calls on the Metropolitan WaterReclamation District to partner in GreenInfrastructure projects to better manage stormwateron the surface—prior to entering the sewer system.Additionally, the City calls on MWRD to examine thepotential to provide disinfection of effluent dis-charged from its treatment plants in order toenhance the recreational potential of the ChicagoRiver.

• The City will work with the Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency and the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency to develop aneducation program to protect the health and safetyof people who recreate on the river.

Act

ion:

The City of Chicago will work with theMetropolitan Water Reclamation Districtand the State and Federal governments toensure the continued improvement in thequality of the Chicago River.

The Chicago River is fast becoming Chicago’s “second shoreline”—attracting many recreational users for fishing, boating, canoeing andwalking along its banks. In addition to increasing human uses, the Riveris home to a new and healthy diversity of animal and plant species.

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The mud on the bottoms of our rivers and lakes is acombination of soil and other materials that make upsediment. In some areas this sediment has become contaminated by pollution from direct and indirectsources, some of which may be far inland. Sedimentsoften contain pesticides, lead, mercury, PCBs, and otherpollutants. Once disturbed by boats or wave action, thesediment may actually pollute the water above it.

The United States Environmental Protection Agencyreported that 1.2 billion cubic yards of sediment—10percent of all sediments in U.S. waterways—is sufficient-ly contaminated with toxic pollutants to pose potentialrisks to fish, humans, and wildlife.

• Because of contaminated sediments, in addition toother risks from fuel exploration or pipelines, the Cityof Chicago supports measures to oppose drilling inLake Michigan.

• The City calls on the Federal government to providefunding, as well as regulatory guidance, for remedia-tion projects to clean up sediments in our waterways.

Air pollution is a major source of toxic pollution in ourwaterways. For example, household trash incineratorsand coal-fired power plants release mercury, and otherchemicals, into the air. These pollutants can be carriedgreat distances by the wind, falling to the ground dur-ing rain or snow and collecting in our waterways.

Many of these pollutants take decades to break down inthe environment. In the meantime, they work their wayup the food chain from bottom-dwelling organisms tofish, birds, and people at increasing levels of concentra-tion. This process is called “bioaccumulation” and theresult can be concentrations of contaminants in somefish that are as much as a million times higher than lev-els in the open water.

These toxic pollutants are responsible for fish advisoriesthat have become common around the Great Lakes.

• The City has banned one key source of these pollu-tants, municipal waste incinerators.

• Chicago has also called for federal action to clean upcoal-fired power plants.

• More federal resources are needed to assist localefforts in collecting and properly disposing of themany small sources of mercury and PCBs, such asthermostats, thermometers, and old light fixtures.

Act

ion:

The City calls on the Federal Government to provide funding and guidance for remediation of contaminated sediment inrivers and harbors.

Act

ion: The City will work with Federal and State

partners to eliminate sources of mercuryand PCBs in the environment.

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Since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1956,the Great Lakes have been open to international shipping. Ships on the Great Lakes carry a wide rangeof cargo, including fuel oil, petroleum, iron ore, stoneand gravel, and wheat. In addition, they carry ballastwater from outside the Great Lakes, which may carrychemicals, bacteria, or living organisms (See pg. 16).This ballast water is often discharged into the waters ofthe Great Lakes.

In order to safeguard the Great Lakes and protect thehealth and safety of the millions of residents whodepend on them for drinking water and recreation, theCity of Chicago calls for the following actions:

• The Federal government should provide fundingand assistance for emergency response planning for potential disasters related to shipping on theGreat Lakes.

• The City supports legislation to ensure that shipsentering the Great Lakes do not contain within theirballast water any substances or living organisms thatwill negatively impact the Great Lakes or endangerthe drinking water supply.

Largest Sources ofAtmospheric Mercury

• 33%—Coal-burning elec-tric power plant boilers

• 19%—Municipal wasteincinerators

• 18%—Commercial/indus-trial boilers

• 10%—Medical wasteincinerators

Source: U.S. EPA 1997 Mercury StudyReport to Congress

Amount of Pollutants inLake Michigan WaterThat Come from the Air

• 58%—PCBs

• 95%—Lead

• 96%—Benzo(a)pyrene

• 88%—Dioxins and furans

Source: U.S. EPA Clean Air Act GreatWaters Program First Report toCongress

Act

ion:

The City of Chicago calls for the Federalgovernment to assist local governments in developing emergency response plansrelated to international shipping on theGreat Lakes.

Ballast water discharge is responsible for the introduction ofseveral invasive species that have disrupted the Great Lakesecosystem. While our shoreline and water supply have notbeen irreparably harmed by any major shipping incidents,we should not wait.

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Many aquatic nuisance species such as zebra mussels,Asian carp and sea lampreys have made their way toour waterways with dramatic consequences for natural ecosystems. For example, one sea lamprey canconsume up to 40 pounds of native trout during its parasitic period.

Invasive species come from other regions of the UnitedStates, as well as from other countries. Asian carpwere introduced into fish farms in the southern UnitedStates and are currently making their way up theMississippi River toward the Great Lakes. These fish are voracious feeders and compete with native species for food. They can grow to nearly 100 poundsand have reportedly caused injuries by jumping into recreational boats.

• In order to prevent their introduction locally, the City of Chicago will seek to ban the retail saleof live Asian Carp.

• The City of Chicago is active in the effort to installdispersal barriers in the Chicago Ship and SanitaryCanal. These barriers are designed to prevent themigration of aquatic nuisance species between theMississippi River basin and the Great Lakes.

• The City calls for Federal ballast water legislation toregulate and enforce discharges.

Act

ion:

The City of Chicago calls on the FederalGovernment to regulate and enforce illegalballast water discharges and to providefunding to assist local governments inaddressing aquatic nuisance species.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, largewater users around the Great Lakes will spendapproximately $5 billion over the next ten yearsremoving zebra mussels from intake structures.

MANAGING STORMWATER

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ER Managing StormwaterWhen it rains, some of the stormwater that falls in ourneighborhoods soaks into the ground and some flowsinto the City’s sewer system. With more and more hardsurfaces, such as rooftops and roadways, there are fewerand fewer places where rain water can infiltrate the soil,nourish plants and remain part of the natural system.

Without greenspace to absorb it, the sewer system isrequired to handle more and more water. Stormwatersent to our sewers is no longer available to irrigate ourlawns or recharge groundwater. Further, when the sewersystem becomes full it discharges into our waterways.

The City of Chicago recognizes the importance of thebuilt infrastructure in terms of managing stormwater. TheCity’s Department of Water Management spends approx-imately $50 million per year to clean and upgrade 4,400miles of sewer lines and 340,000 related structures.Additionally, the City acknowledges the importance of theTunnel and Reservoir Plan, known as Deep Tunnel, in thelong-term management of stormwater.

However, the City believes that the “built” infrastructurealone will not meet all of our needs for managing wastewater and stormwater. Managing stormwater andprotecting the quality of our water resources will requirea combination of upgrading our “built” infrastructureand creating a “green” infrastructure. Through thisgreen infrastructure, the City will demonstrate forward-thinking ways to reduce the burden on our sewer systemand keep stormwater in the environment.

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Chicago’s Combined Sewer System: To avoid flooding, Chicago built a stormwater conveyance system in 1856. Like most cities in thisarea, Chicago built one underground system thatcombines both wastewater and stormwater andmoves them away from the environment towardtreatment plants.

This combined system is large enough to easily handle the city and suburban wastewater that needsto be treated. In fact, the volume of wastewater is so small compared to the stormwater, it is not even considered in designing the size of our sewer system.

When there is too much stormwater, the combinedsewers overflow and release untreated waste andstormwater into the Chicago River. This practiceharms the health and habitat of the river.Homeowners occasionally experience this excessstormwater as flooding in their basements. By investing in green infrastructure, the City willhelp to reduce the amount of water flowing to thesewer system.

Combined sewer overflows are awater pollution concern for morethan 700 cities with combinedsewer systems

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Rooftop GardensThe Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden is an example ofgreen design. Rooftop gardens are beneficial in dealingwith stormwater in two ways. First, they absorb and storewater, reducing the amount that flows to the sewer sys-tem. Second, many of the plants have filtering qualitiesthat remove pollution from the water.

The City Hall rooftop garden features 20,000 plants, ofmore than 150 varieties, including shrubs, vines, andtrees. Stormwater runoff is reduced by an estimated 50%.

The City’s Department of Planning and Developmentand Department of Environment have launched aRooftop Garden Initiative. Through this initiative the Cityis leading by example by installing green roofs on sever-al new publicly owned buildings and encouraging theuse of green roofs on private development as well. Someof these buildings include:

• CTA Headquarters

• Dearborn Center, a private development at State and Adams

• The Left Bank, a condominium development at Canaland Fulton

• DuSable Harbor, a Park District facility along the lakefront

• Chicago Center for Green Technology (pg. 22)

Act

ion: The City will continue to invest in and

encourage green infrastructure and designin City projects as well as private develop-ment.

Water Agenda 2003 21

New DevelopmentThe City encourages large new developments to incor-porate green infrastructure into their design. Through theplanned development process, the City is working withlarge developers to recommend ways to managestormwater on site.

Ford Motor Company and Solo Cup are examples of corporate leaders that have incorporated green infrastructure into site designs at their Chicago facilities,reducing significantly the amount of built infrastructurethey require.

Permeable AlleyThe City is creating a green infrastructure by utilizingunique open spaces to hold water that would normallydrain directly into the sewer system. For instance, theCity built a new kind of alley in a North Side communityas part of a pilot project. The alley, constructed of a rigidgrid system and gravel, allows rainwater to soak into theground—reducing water flow into the sewer system andbackyard flooding.

Rain GardensThe City is taking this idea a step further by experiment-ing with “rain gardens” in the parkways. Rain gardensmove water into the ground through natural drainageand by using native plants that store water in their roots.Similar techniques can be employed at many street intersections. Permeable alleys and rain gardens reduceflooding, use rainwater as a resource, and even beautifyneighborhood streets. Once tested, these techniques willbe applied throughout the city.

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ER Chicago Center for Green TechnologyThe Chicago Center for Green Technology was designedto obtain a platinum LEED rating, the highest level ofrecognition for green design that is awarded by the U.S.Green Building Council. It contains pervious parkingareas, vegetated swales, detention ponds, a rooftop garden, and cisterns that collect up to 12,000 gallons of rainwater. The site design reduces stormwater runoffby 50%.

Requiring Green DesignChicago will work to require developers to incorporategreen design and infrastructure into their site plans. Thiswill reduce the amount of water draining to the sewer system by requiring, where practical, developers toimplement best management practices to keepstormwater on site. The Department of Environment iscurrently working with Northeastern Illinois PlanningCommission to develop a manual of stormwater bestmanagement practices for urban areas.

Water Agenda 2003 23

Downspout Disconnect Program:The City of Chicago was the first major metropolitan areain the country to successfully implement an inlet controlsystem to relieve basement flooding. The system works byinstalling restricters to slow the flow of stormwater into thesewer system. Stormwater is detained on city streets forbrief periods before flowing back into the sewer system.This measure helps relieve the burden on the sewer systemand reduce the frequency of basement flooding and combined sewer overflows into our waterways.

The effectiveness of the inlet control system depends on the number of roof downspouts that are disconnect-ed from the sewer system. While impractical in someplaces (where there are only hard surfaces or wheredrainage could impact neighboring property), the potential to reduce basement flooding and increase natural infiltration is great.

The City actively encourages homeowners to disconnecttheir downspouts from the sewer system and direct thewater instead to their yards or gardens. Public serviceannouncements, community meetings, instructionalvideo tapes, brochures and discounts on materials for downspout disconnection have all been provided to homeowners. The City will continue and expand its efforts to educate citizens on the benefits of disconnecting existing downspouts and on alternativeuses of stormwater.

For more information on this program contact the Department of Water Management at www.cityofchicago.org/WaterManagement.

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On some roads in the city, storm drains are connecteddirectly to waterways. This means stormwater that fallsonto the roadway runs untreated into Lake Michiganand the Chicago and Calumet rivers. The initial stages ofa rainstorm known as “first flush” capture the salt, oiland gas on our roadways. While the City believes thatclean stormwater should be kept in the environment,roadway runoff that contains high levels of contaminantsshould not drain into our waterways.

The Chicago Department of Transportation has takenthe first steps toward this goal.

• The $200 million reconstruction of Wacker Drivediverts the first flush of pollutants to the sewer systemfor treatment instead of draining into the ChicagoRiver.

• With the renovation of Lake Shore Drive from 23rdStreet to 67th Street, 90% of roadway pollutants aredirected away from Lake Michigan.

The City will continue to incorporate this idea in its projects and will work with other agencies to constructroads so that polluted water is directed into the sewersystem or natural area for filtration.

Act

ion: The City will continue to reduce the amount

of pollution that flows from roadways intoarea waterways.

POLLUTION CONTAINED IN THERUNOFF FROM ONE STORM EVENT

(130th AND TORRENCE)

Sediments/Solids 1,425 lbs.

Salt (Winter) 1,150 lbs.

Oil & Grease 8 lbs.

Water Agenda 2003 25

Chicago has invested both in creating greenspace and inprotecting and maintaining our natural areas such asparks and wetlands. Within the City, there are thousandsof acres of natural area, many of which help controlstormwater and prevent flooding. Wetlands in particularhelp to filter water naturally and provide unique habitatfor plants and animals.

One example of a restored natural area is Gompers Parkalong the Chicago River. Here the Chicago Park Districtrestored a wetland that had been filled in the 1960s. Thewetland holds stormwater and helps reduce floodingduring rainstorms.

In other areas the Park District is planting native plantsand wildflowers because they possess longer root systems that hold and filter water. The Chicago ParkDistrict’s 10-year plan to restore more than 207 acres of lagoons in 16 parks will further contribute tostormwater management and provide homes for diverse plants and animals.

Act

ion: The City will continue to protect and

rehabilitate wetlands within the City limits.

Within the City of Chicago there are:• 1,033 acres of inland lakes • 1,078 acres of wetlands• 3,485 acres of forest• 13 acres of dunes• 72 acres of prairie • 73 acres of riparian landscapes • 20 acres of savanna

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ER CalumetIn June 2000, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daleyand then Illinois Governor George H. Ryanannounced a new vision for the Calumet area.

Once one of the largest wetland complexes inlower North America—supporting a diversity of plant and animal life—the 20-square mile area located on Chicago’s Far Southeast Side hasundergone radical change wrought by 120 yearsof intensive industrialization, pollution and waste disposal.

The new vision is the first comprehensive effort tostrike a balance between the area’s economy andits environment—to provide jobs, re-invigorateneighborhoods, and nurture its remaining com-plex of rare natural areas.

A comprehensive strategy for the area is beingcreated via the city’s Calumet Land Use Plan andthe Calumet Area Ecological ManagementStrategy. These Calumet-focused projects involveintensive collaboration between a large numberof city, state and federal government agencies,industry and environmental group representa-tives, and local residents.

OUTREACH AND MOBILIZATION

Long term solutions to conserving, protecting, and man-aging our water resources will require that Chicagoansunderstand the importance of our waterways, the issuesfacing these resources, and what citizens can do to help.

With a goal of improving stewardship among Chicagoarea residents, the city will implement a citizen educationcampaign that will help highlight the importance ofwater issues.

Some issues that will be addressed include the following:

• Changing the public perception of a limitless watersupply in Chicago.

• Explaining the connection between stormwater andthe quality of water in our rivers and lakes.

• Increasing awareness about the growing number ofpublic access opportunities.

• Educating recreational users about the importance ofgood stewardship.

To effectively spread the message the campaign will utilize mass media, area schools, and include partnershipswith groups like the Lake Michigan Federation andFriends of the Chicago River.

Water Agenda 200328

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ion: In spring 2003, the City of Chicago will

kick off a citizen education campaign to raise awareness of the issues affecting ourwater resources.

Water Agenda 2003 29

Communities in the Chicago region have common concerns about our water resources. Many of theregion’s cities are provided with water from Chicago’swater system, share the system managed by theMetropolitan Water Reclamation District, and face similarchallenges managing rivers, streams, groundwater and wetlands.

Cities on the Great Lakes have common concerns relatedspecifically to the Lakes, such as controlling invasivespecies, deciding issues of water allocation and sharingthe resource with far-away regions. While state, federaland international leaders are all involved, municipal leadership is essential. It is cities that make sure the wateris safe for drinking, recreation and habitat. It is cities thatmust invest in maintaining aging infrastructure, andcities whose economies are dependent upon the tourismand commerce that the Great Lakes support.

The City of Chicago has asserted its role in these mattersby taking a leadership position among local govern-ments. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, made up of all269 municipalities in the six-county Chicago region, is one of the organizations through which Chicago willsolicit support for its Water Agenda and encourage others to develop their own plans.

Recently, Chicago began inviting mayors from aroundthe Great Lakes to organize their efforts and concernsinto a strategy for protecting and restoring the entireecosystem. Mayors, in partnership with governors, candemonstrate the need for and the value in a major fed-eral investment in the Great Lakes ecosystem. A GreatLakes protection and restoration strategy is a fundingstrategy to protect public health and safety, improvequality of life and economic vitality, and safeguard thisnatural resource for the needs of people and nature.

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ion: Mayor Daley will continue to build a coali-

tion of Great Lakes mayors to ensure thatmunicipalities are effective advocates forprotecting water resources.

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