Click the link below to view a live feed of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) McCook Reservoir Stage I which was completed in 2017 and provides 3.5 billion gallons of storage. The reservoir is one of the country’s largest public works projects for pollution and flood control. It captures sewage and stormwater that otherwise would have overflowed into rivers and streams and flooded communities that rely on combined sewer systems. Once Stickney Water Reclamation Plant has capacity to treat the water during and after storms, the water will be pumped from the reservoir to the plant and cleaned before it is released into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
The McCook Reservoir is located along the Stevenson Expressway between the Des Plaines River and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Stage II of McCook Reservoir will be completed in 2029 and provide 6.5 billion gallons of storage. The McCook Reservoir will provide more than $143 million per year in flood damage reduction benefits to 3,100,000 people in 37 communities, along with a total capacity of 10 billion gallons.
The communities benefitting from the McCook Reservoir include: Bedford Park, Berwyn, Broadview, Brookfield, Chicago, Cicero, Des Plaines, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Forest Park, Forest View, Franklin Park, Golf, Harwood Heights, Hometown, Kenilworth, La Grange, La Grange Park, Lincolnwood, Lyons, Maywood, Melrose Park, Morton Grove, Niles, Norridge, North Riverside, Oak Park, Park Ridge, River Forest, River Grove, Riverside, Schiller Park, Skokie, Stickney, Summit, Western Springs, and Wilmette.