The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is funding a new round of green infrastructure projects for 20222.
Following a call for submissions last summer, the MWRD selected seven projects that incorporate permeable surfaces to help mitigate flooding, protect area water quality and improve public spaces, as part of the MWRD’s Green Infrastructure Program.
Construction for the projects range in price from $89,000 to $1.5 million, each benefiting a range of nearby structures, from five to as many as 138. Combined, these seven projects will mitigate flooding for 466 structures and provide the capacity to retain more than 800,000 gallons of water per rain event.
“These projects call for different green infrastructure solutions to soak up more water and prevent it from overwhelming local sewers, basements, waterways, and streets throughout Cook County,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “We thank local governments and community partners for submitting applications and sharing in our mission to mitigate flooding and protect our water environment.”
During its call for projects, MWRD engineers evaluated 32 proposals, ranking the eligible projects based on factors such as the total retention gallons, number of benefiting structures, median income of the community, project visibility and outreach, flooding prevalence, maintenance capability, and separate or combined sewer area. The MWRD noted that, as more funding becomes available, additional projects could be considered.
“We are grateful for the number of submissions that entered this year’s call for green infrastructure projects, and we look forward to working with our local partners to complete the projects selected for MWRD funding,” said MWRD Commissioner Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. “These green infrastructure practices are sustainable solutions that can collect more runoff, improve our local water quality, and help us reduce flooding.”
A complete list of the MWRD’s selected green infrastructure projects:
Calumet City: Calumet City Green Alleys Project
City of Countryside: Countryside Park Parking Improvements
City of Des Plaines: Pervious Concrete Alley Improvements
Village of Lyons: Green Alley Program
Village of Maywood: Green Infrastructure Alley Improvements
Village of Oak Lawn: Detention Basin Naturalization
River Trails School District 26: River Trails Middle School Green Infrastructure Improvements
In 2015, the MWRD adopted a Green Infrastructure Plan to increase the acceptance and investment of green infrastructure practices throughout Cook County. Since that time, the MWRD has partnered with dozens of municipalities to fund projects such as rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavement systems, and rainwater harvesting systems.
The MWRD intends to provide partial funding towards the construction of the selected green infrastructure installations on public property. Project partners will be expected to provide long-term operation and maintenance of the installed green infrastructure practices.
