Water and Air Resources
From Edgewater 2020
Contents |
Chicago’s Water Resources
Saving the Chicago River and Lake Michigan
Water Resources in Edgewater
There are two major issues with water: 1) ensuring an adequate supply of clean water; and 2) dealing in a responsible fashion with waste water and stormwater runoff. Fortunately, Chicago has access to one of the premier clean water sources in the world, Lake Michigan. While essentially an unlimited source, its use is constrained by court decisions. To allow for availability and use by many municipalities in the region, it must be used efficiently by all. There are also significant costs in purifying and distributing it.
Chicago Area Waterways
1) All surface waters in the Chicago region normally flow away from Lake Michigan to the Illinois River system [ Here ]
2) When used, the waste water goes to one of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s wastewater treatment plants. Most of the region has a combined sewer system where all storm water runoff goes through the same pipes to the Municipal Water Reclamation Districts (MWRD) treatment plants.
3) An intense or prolonged rain can result in massive runoff that overwhelms the capacity of the collection systems and treatment plants. The excess water, a mixture of sewage and runoff, the combined sewer overflow (CSO) is discharged to the Chicago River. This happens about once a month [ Here ]. It can also cause considerable flooding of basements. While major strides have been made in recent years in cleaning up the river, more than 60 species of fish can now be found there, these CSO events cause havoc with the biotic communities that are then present in the river.
4) Large CSO events cause major flooding of highway underpasses and basements. To minimize this problem with large events, water from the river is diverted to Lake Michigan. These diversions to the lake occur about once a year, on average. [ Here ]
When a CSO event is occurring, anything that decreases discharges to the sewers will decrease the amount of CSO diverted to the river. Thus, to decrease rain runoff and to prevent discharges to the river and the lake, we need to do the following:
Homeowners follow the City's guidelines [ City of Chicago Stormwater.pdf ].
1) Disconnect downspouts from the sewer and direct the water to lawn and garden areas.
2) Use rain barrels [ Here ] to capture and store rain water for future use.
3) Plant a rain garden [ Here ]
4) Use permeable pavers on driveways, etc.
5) Defer the use of showers, and dish and clothes washers when heavy rains are expected or have occurred.
Businesses: Follow the City’s Stormwater Management Plan [ Here ]
Chicago’s Air Resources
We have little control over the big issues related to outdoor air quality. We are at the mercy of what is upwind of us. But we can do our part in not degrading it and we do have a lot of control over our indoor air quality [ http://www.cleanaircounts.org/households/index.php ]. The principal air quality issue today is ozone at ground level [ http://www.cleanaircounts.org/households/ozone_and_Health.php ]. Ozone is quite toxic to our lungs and to plants, and is used to sterilize water and air. It is formed during the day in the summertime when volatile organic compounds (VOCs; gasoline vapors, aerosol sprays, plant volatiles, etc.) react with sunlight and with nitrogen oxides [ NOx ] that come mostly from cars, trucks and buses.
Other issues are air particulates, the tiny bits of dust that can travel deep into our lungs carrying toxic materials with them, and toxic chemicals in the air such as pesticides and industrial chemicals. Ozone and particulates are known to cause significant health problems in those with impaired lung function, as those suffering from asthma.
Category Administration
Chair: Tom Murphy <tjm2040@rcn.com>; Members: Eve Pytel <epytel@mayorscaucus.org>, Cecelia Ungari <cecelia.ungari@yahoo.com> and Melanie Napoleon <MNapoleon@sheddaquarium.org> This topic will identify and promote the elimination and clean-up of sources of air and water pollution in the Edgewater Community.
The program will encourage actions by individuals, business and the government to reduce the amount of water used and the amount discharged to the sewer system.
Metrics
(What are the key measures that are relevant to this category? What ‘needles’ are we trying to ‘move’?)
Chicago Climate Action Plan - Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Goals:
- 25 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2020
- 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050
Edgewater Proposed Goals for Waste Water Reduction
Keeping waste water out of the river
- Cleaner and healthier Chicago River as documented by the MWRD.
- Decline in the number and volume of CSO events and diversions to Lake Michigan.
- Decline in the per capita consumption of water in the city and smaller volumes of water treated by the MWRD.
Edgewater Proposed Goals for reduced air emissions
Keeping polluting gases out of the air
- Cleaner and healthier air as measured by Loyola environmental study group.
- Fewer ozone alerts in the summer.
- A healthier outdoor and indoor environment for those with impaired lung function.
Current State
(Where do we currently stand in this category/section, in terms of the key defining metrics?)
See above description
Available Data Review
(What baseline data do we have – or exists elsewhere that we can easily obtain – that can help us create a baseline assessment of where we currently stand?)
Data is citywide and available under the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Specific data for Edgewater is not currently available.
Additional Data Needs
(What additional data is needed and how will we be able to address them, e.g., through collaborative university/student projects?)
Data is availble through public sources: EPA, Water Reclamation District etc. but is not specific to Edgewater
Edgewater Proposed Goals: Water
• Significantly decrease water use in Edgewater
• Significantly decrease stormwater runoff from Edgewater
Implementation
• Residents, businesses and institutions will have water meters and installed low-flow/water saving aerators and fixtures. Per capita water use will be reduced by 20%. (2009-2020)
• All storm waters in Edgewater will be retained on-site or infiltrated into the ground with rain barrels, rain gardens, permeable pavements, etc. (40% implementation by 2015).
• New businesses will be in compliance with the City’s Stormwater Management Regulations. (100% implementation 2020)
• Decreasing water use and the use of less hot water, will result in less energy use and more cost savings. The use of low-flow water fixtures, front-loading washing machines and using cold-water washing will all contribute.
• The use of water for watering lawns, landscapes and gardens will be decreased (lush green is not green in this case). (50% reduction by 2015)
Edgewater Proposed Goals: Air Quality
• To improve the quality of our air environment by changing those practices that result in the degradation of air quality indoors and outdoors
Implementation
To implement the air quality component of our Air and Water resource topic area, we will:
• Decrease the use of toxic and ozone producing volatile organic chemicals, VOCs, (2009-2020)
• Create Clean Air zones . . . (2012-2020)
• Have Edgewater join the Clean Air Counts campaign in Northeastern Illinois.
• Encourage businesses to participate in Clean Air Counts and reduce their contributions of solvents, VOCs, Freons, etc. to the air. (2009-2020)
• Decrease the use of aerosol sprays and other VOCs in our homes. (2009-2020)
• Encourage anti-idling practices for standing vehicles at schools, shopping areas, train stations, etc. [ Here ]. (2009-2020)
• Eliminate the use of gasoline-powered lawn mowers, leaf-blowers and snow blowers with their excessive air emissions. (2015)
Education
• Information sheets (2009-2020)
• Leaflets from air quality organizations (City of Chicago; US EPA; Clean Air Matters; Sierra Club; etc.) (2009-2020)
• Web-based – Air & Water Resources on EESP-2020’s Wiki (www.edgewater2020.org) (2009-2020)
• Public Forum (2010)
Ideal
(What are the key measures that are relevant to this category? What ‘needles’ are we trying to ‘move’?)
Benefits to our Community: Clean Water and Air
- Cleaner and healthier air as measured by Loyola environmental study group
- Cleaner Chicago river
- The City saves water distribution and waste water treatment costs
- Save money and energy for individuals, businesses, government and institutions
Minimum / First Steps
(What, if any, criteria are fixed/unchangeable or independent from this analysis?)
Following the Chicago Climate Action plan is the base premise.
Gaps
(Given available data & analysis, how far apart are key the elements (metrics) of our Current & Future States?)
Measurements for Edgewater are not available at this time. Surveys of residents are being undertaken in 2010
Resources
(What kind of resources – time, money, people, agreements/support/relationships – are needed to address each of the gaps described above?) Working with community, faith groups and Chicago Dept. of Environment we are looking for funding to create a stormwater management pilot which will implement a series of public rain gardens. They will serve as an example of what the public and private sector can do. Permeable pavement is part of the streetscape design. Mitigation of greenhous gas emissions to improve air quality is included in transportation project - improve walkability, bikeability and add a Metra stop in Edgewater to reduce car traffic through main roads.
Priorities
(Given the potential impact & benefit and the related costs (resources) required, in what order should we attempt to address/resolve the gaps?) See above
Implementation Plan
(What are the first/next steps required to address the priority gap areas, secure the required resources, etc.? How will the implementation of priorities in this area be balanced against those of others?) See above
