Tuesdays at APA: Prioritizing Water Supply Planning in the Chicago Region

Tuesday, September 24, 2013


While the greater Chicago region has historically had access to
ample fresh water, it can no longer assume that water supplies
are infinite. Without coordinated planning and policy, the
Chicago region may be in jeopardy of forfeiting future growth and
prosperity.


Fortunately, a lot has happened since the 2010 release of Water
2050: Northeastern Illinois Water Supply/Demand Plan that bodes
well for water supply planning and management in northeastern
Illinois, including the creation of the Northwest Water Planning
Alliance, momentum toward a modernized state plumbing code, and
the creation of the Clean Water Initiative. At the same time,
there remains a lot of work to, including developing a
sustainable revenue stream to support ongoing regional water
supply planning.


Josh Ellis, from the Metropolitan Planning Council, will
summarize the current state of water supply planning in the
Chicago region, and highlight opportunities for moving
Northeastern Illinois toward a more sustainable water supply
paradigm.