Growth and Water Shortages

Some planners in Illinois are urging cities to think about water in advance of a crisis.

1 minute read

September 18, 2003, 2:00 PM PDT

By Connie Chung


"As one of the fastest-growing cities in Illinois, Joliet is digging ever deeper into its water source--an aquifer running from Wisconsin through the south suburbs--to meet demand, which has some planners calling for a more regional look at how water is being used....Meanwhile, there is no system in place to stop Joliet, Aurora, Elgin or any of dozens of communities that have access to the aquifer from pumping out more water. That concerns the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission in Chicago, among other groups, which is leading an effort to set some planning standards....Ideally, such discussions could be used to determine where to prohibit construction of homes or businesses, depending on the supply of drinking water...."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Tuesday, September 16, 2003 in The Chicago Tribune

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