With more rain expected in the Chicago area this week, residents are being asked to use less water by delaying showers, running dishwashers less frequently, and more.
According to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the organization in charge of managing stormwater and wastewater in the Chicago area, an “Overflow Action Day” has been declared for Monday, with more showers and thunderstorms potentially bringing several more inches of rain to the region.
The purpose of an “Overflow Action Day” is to call attention to the need to keep water out of the region’s sewer systems, as that water must be taken into the TARP, or “Deep Tunnel” system, processed, and then released into area waterways.
According to the latest estimates from the MWRD, reservoirs in the area are already filling up quickly after this week’s rains, including the McCook TARP Reservoir, which is at 95% capacity and holding nearly five billion gallons of water.
The Thornton TARP Reservoir is at 58% capacity, according to officials.
With more rain expected to enter that system, residents are being asked to reduce their water usage in an effort to divert it out of sewers and waterways.
Those steps can include reducing the amount of time residents spend in the shower, as well as running dishwashers less frequently, reducing the number of times toilets are flushed, and by delaying doing laundry until rain has excited the area.
The forecast in the Chicago area is calling for more rain, and officials have expressed concern the current weather pattern will allow heavy rains to continue running over the same areas over and over again, leading to localized flooding and eye-popping precipitation totals.
There are chances of severe thunderstorms multiple times this week, which could further challenge the TARP system to keep untreated water out of area waterways.
