"Residents urged to limit water use across Chicago area during soaking storms," NBC 5 Chicago
Residents of the Chicago area were asked to limit their water use on Saturday as the region was expected to see several waves of showers and thunderstorms.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago asked residents to cut back to protect the water supply's quality and prevent flooding.
Delaying showers and baths, flushing toilets less and waiting to run the dishwasher or washing machine are all ways you can limit your water use, according to the alert.
"Our staff is managing billions of gallons of water at our seven water reclamation plants and through our Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, which is operating to protect our water environment and mitigate flooding,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems.”
Rain first hit the area around 9 a.m. on Saturday, followed by more showers and storms in the afternoon. The wet weather is expected to continue into the into the evening and through into early Sunday --- dropping possibly 1 to 1.5 inches of rain overnight.