09/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2026 05:41
With heavy rain underway in the Chicago area today, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) encourages area residents and business owners to reduce water use during and after the rain to help prevent flooding and protect water quality:
"Our staff is managing billions of gallons of water at our seven water reclamation plants and through our Tunnel and Reservoir Plan which is operating to protect our water environment and mitigate flooding," said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. "We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems."
WHERE TO LEARN MORE
Learn how to prepare for stormwater: https://mwrd.org/community-action/you-can-help-prevent-flooding-and-protect-water-quality.
Learn more about Combined Sewer Overflow prevention: https://mwrd.org/community-action/overflow-action
Learn what you should do during flooding: https://mwrd.org/community-action/what-you-should-do-during-flooding
LEARN HOW MWRD INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER SYSTEM OPERATE
Learn about the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP): https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/tunnel-and-reservoir-plan-tarp
Understand how the Chicago Area Waterway System works: https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/reducing-flooding/chicago-area-waterway-system-caws
Learn about the types of sewer systems in Cook County: https://mwrd.org/community-action/understanding-your-sewer
Request a presentation for your community: https://mwrd.org/education/speakers-and-outreach
Tour our facilities: https://mwrd.org/education/tours
Municipal partners can explore stormwater partnership opportunities: https://mwrd.org/stormwater/partnerships
SIGN UP FOR OVERFLOW ACTION ALERTS
Sign up to receive Overflow Action Alerts via text: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/YhH2xGP/MWRDSignup