After heavy rains, billions of gallons of untreated sewage are flowing into the Chicago River. This year’s total is the highest since 2019, according to an analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The pumping station on Racine Avenue on the South Side, near Bubbly Creek, alone discharged more than 10 billion gallons of sewage into the river this year. Nearly 2 billion more gallons went into the river’s north branch from the pumping station on Lawrence Avenue. Both belong to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD).
Chicago has a combined sewer system, in which rainwater and sewage flow through the same pipes. When a lot of rain falls in a short time, the system can’t keep up, and the overflow goes straight into the river. The city’s sewers can handle about 2 inches of rain per day, while violent storms can bring more than 8.5 inches. At O’Hare Airport, more than 37 inches of rain have already fallen this year.
Even the famous “Deep Tunnel” doesn’t help enough. The system of more than 100 miles of tunnels and reservoirs has been under construction for about 50 years. The Thornton reservoir in South Holland filled to the brim for the first time since it opened in 2015, and the McCook reservoir in Bedford Park filled up ten times this year. Its expansion has been pushed back to 2032.
The sewage carries bacteria that are especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, lowers oxygen levels in the water and kills fish. Environmentalists warn that efforts are not keeping pace with climate change. MWRD acknowledges that smaller investments are also needed, such as green spaces and systems that hold rainwater before it reaches the sewers. The district has designed nearly 300 such projects, but many of them are still in the planning stage.
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Source: Polski.FM
