MWRD agreement aims to reduce combined sewer overflows

Development of green infrastructure to improve region water quality

The volume of water discharged to the waterways from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Cook County, along with the potential for flooding, will dramatically decrease thanks to efforts that began in the early 1970s and will continue through 2029. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US. EPA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) have executed an enforceable schedule for implementing MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (“TARP”). That agreement is reflected in a Consent Decree that was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.