Chicago to Update Stormwater Plan

Chicago is one of 700 U.S. cities with combined sewer and stormwater systems that often lead to flooding during major rain events.

1 minute read

November 5, 2024, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of Chicago Sewer manhole cover.

EugeneF / Adobe Stock

Chicago will update its 2014 green stormwater infrastructure plan in response to a new state permit program that requires cities to make improvements to combined sewer and stormwater systems that allow sewage to enter local waterways during flood events, a type of system common in hundreds of cities around the country.

As Ysabelle Kempe explains in Smart Cities Dive, the city is issuing a request for proposals for building more sustainable water infrastructure and collecting stormwater where it falls before letting it flow to rivers and lakes. “Chicago is looking for a consultant to map the city’s progress on GSI since 2014, conduct a cost-benefit analysis of existing GSI, examine other cities’ strategies, determine implementation challenges and identify potential policy changes that could promote more equitable GSI investments.”

The Illinois National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit requires an expansion of the GSI strategy as well as a focus on environmental justice communities and improved monitoring, reporting, and public engagement on stormwater and sewer issues.

Thursday, October 31, 2024 in Smart Cities Dive

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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