How and why the flow of the Chicago River was reversed

During their meeting, Durbin and President Steele spoke about securing federal reimbursement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction of the reservoir.

The reservoir has a capacity of 7.9 billion gallons and is connected to Chicago's Deep Tunnel network to prevent flooding — both in the form of basement backups and in the form of overflow of the banks of Thorn Creek.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which is now overseeing the site, observed asphalt in the canal and along the shoreline after the cleanup was reported complete, said IEPA spokesperson Kim Biggs in a statement last week.

The find has been championed by MWRD officials as a significant positive indicator for water quality and ecosystem health.

Staff for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) are working around the clock Friday to manage a rare January storm that hit the Chicago region last night. The National Weather Service reported that approximately 1.92 inches of rain fell over the Chicago area yesterday, with many gauges across the region reporting over 2.5 inches in communities southwest of the city, and rain fell heavily in a matter of hours.