NBC Chicago: Rain could start falling Wednesday afternoon and continue off-and-on until Friday

Chicago-area residents have been asked to reduce water use ahead of forecasted heavy rains, including delaying showers and doing laundry.

According to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, an “Overflow Action Day” was issued Wednesday, with up to two inches of rain possible across parts of the area in coming days.

According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, showers and embedded thunderstorms could start as soon as Wednesday afternoon, with widespread rain expected early Thursday morning,  which could lead to ponding on area roadways.

More rain could fall on Thursday afternoon, and scattered showers could persist even into Friday morning, according to forecast models.

According to the Overflow Action Alert, MWRD officials are asking residents to take steps to reduce their water usage in coming days in an effort to limit the amount of water that goes into sewer systems.

Those steps include reducing the amount of time residents spend in the shower, but also apply to other things as well, including running dishwashers less frequently, reducing the number of times toilets are flushed, and delaying doing laundry until the rain has moved out of the area.

If too much water enters those systems, it can lead to flooding, including into the basements of residences and businesses.

Particularly severe flooding can result in the release of untreated or partially treated wastewater into the Chicago River or Lake Michigan, something the agency actively seeks to avoid.

According to the alert, there are a number of other steps residents can also take to reduce the amount of water entering sewage systems. Those include the installation of rain gardens or rain barrels on properties. Landscaping with native plants or planting more trees will also help to absorb more water.

Even replacing paved surfaces with water-absorbing materials can also help, according to the MWRD website.

View Article