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.