“These awardees are paving the way for a greener, more resilient future in our communities,” said MWRD Commissioner Eira Corral Sepúlveda. “Their projects and educational efforts not only protect our environment but serve as inspiring models for others to follow. It’s an honor to recognize their leadership in sustainability and their commitment to creating lasting positive change across our region.”

Throughout the village, 35 alleyways have been reconstructed to allow stormwater runoff to permeate through the pavers in the middle of the alley, rather than run off to the sides and impact neighboring residential properties. The permeable pavers allow for runoff to infiltrate into a storage layer of stone under the pavers to help prevent ponding. Perforated pipe was installed under the permeable pavers to allow some stormwater to be conveyed into the sewer system during extremely heavy rain events. This project has relieved the flooding of alleyways and adjacent properties, as well as reduced the amount of stormwater entering the combined sewer to be sent to the MWRD treatment plant in Stickney.

“I am very proud that our village was recognized by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for our proactive approach to upgrading all of our alleys,” said Cathy Adduci, village president, who accepted the award at the summit. “One of our guiding principles is to enhance property values by improving quality of life. This village-wide program to reduce flooding in a sustainable way is a perfect example.”

Placing a special emphasis on managing the effects of climate change, this year’s summit brought together key industry experts, including hydrologists, engineers, planners and sustainability leaders, sharing valuable insights on building resilient, eco-friendly communities for the future. In addition to the presentations, this event recognized communities or individuals for their exceptional contributions to environmental sustainability through innovative green infrastructure, impactful capital investments, and dynamic public education efforts.

“We are proud to bring together such an inspiring group of environmental leaders and innovators at this year’s Sustainability Summit,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “The insights shared by our experts, from stormwater management to regional sustainability initiatives, are critical to building resilient, eco-friendly communities for the future.”

River Forest’s green alley improvement project cost $2.6 million, $90,000 of which was covered by an MWRD grant.

Although the village typically reconstructed one alley per year, under the accelerated alley improvement program, four alleys were reconstructed in 2021, nine in 2022 and five in 2023.

Some of these alleys experienced storm water issues and some had pavement in poor condition, according to village officials. Most consisted of asphalt pavement, with a few having concrete pavement. Their reconstruction is intended to provide not only a better driving surface but increased storm water mitigation.

According to information on the village website, the typical cross section of River Forest’s new alleys involves reconstruction with concrete pavement, sloped inward toward an approximately three-foot wide strip of permeable pavers.

The pavers allow storm water runoff to be conveyed to a stone reservoir underneath the pavement to help reduce flooding. There is also a perforated pipe within the stone reservoir which helps convey storm water away from the alley during periods of excessive rainfall.

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