Two of the three reservoirs in the Metropolitan water Reclamation District system are at least 94% full and holding billions of gallons of water.

The City of Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) and the MWRD will showcase construction of an innovative pilot of a wing storage unit designed to help mitigate flooding by collecting and storing stormwater in this flood prone area.

Multiple rounds of heavy rain fell between July 2 and July 4, leading to flash flooding in streets and rising river levels across the greater Chicago region, with some municipalities reporting 8 to 10 inches of rain over the 48-hour period. According to the MWRD, its two largest Deep Tunnel reservoirs are nearly at capacity.

The massive system of tunnels and reservoirs was built to contain Chicago’s flood water. After more than 8 inches of rain over the past 30 days, the system is nearing capacity.

The MWRD is managing flow from this past weekend's storms

We know that many residents across our communities have experienced significant flooding during these recent waves of heavy rain. These weather events have been challenging, and our thoughts are with all who are dealing with the impacts.