DuPage County Stormwater Management News & Updates

DuPage County, Illinois sent this bulletin at 10/17/2022 03:06 PM CDT

October 2022                                                                                                                                       View this email in your browser
DuPage County Currents

DuPage County Opens Elmhurst Quarry for Public Tours

Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility Tour

DuPage County Stormwater Management Director Sarah Hunn leads attendees on a tour of the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility's control side adjacent to Salt Creek.

In partnership with the Elmhurst History Museum, DuPage County Stormwater Management (SWM) opened its Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility to a sold-out crowd in early October. Nearly 400 people registered to get a rare, inside look at this DuPage County landmark. During the event, attendees learned how the County uses the Quarry to manage floodwater, along with its history in the community. With a capacity of 2.7 billion gallons, the Elmhurst Quarry is the largest of five mechanically-operated and 12 gravity-operated flood control facilities in DuPage County.

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SWM Awards Antunes Water Quality Flag

Water Quality Flag Ceremony

DuPage Stormwater Chair Jim Zay and Board Members Sheila Rutledge and Greg Schwarze join SCARCE in awarding Antunes the flags.

SWM and SCARCE awarded Antunes, a Carol Stream business, with a Water Quality Flag for their stewardship in creating cleaner water both locally and globally. DuPage County Stormwater Committee Chair Jim Zay and SCARCE Founder Kay McKeen awarded Antunes’ Glenn and Jane Bullock with the flag during the ceremony, in which they also received an Earth Flag.

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SWM, SCARCE Hosting Webinar

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act this month, SWM and SCARCE are hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, October 26 at noon. The webinar will highlight best practices residents can employ to improve local waterways. It will also discuss ways to get involved, including the upcoming 2022 Pumpkin Smash. Advanced registration is required.

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Around Town

The Chicago Metropolitan Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) recently held a "Pilates in the Park" member event at SWM's Armstrong Park Reservoirs in Carol Stream. During the event, attendees completed a Pilates class in between the two reservoirs that comprise the flood control facility. Following Pilates, SWM engineers led attendees on a tour of the facility, which was named an APWA Environmental Project of the Year following its construction in 2016.

Armstrong Park Yoga and Tour

SWM staff leads the Armstrong Park tour following Pilates.

Upcoming Events

"Celebrating 50 Years of the Clean Water Act" Webinar

Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Noon - 1:00 P.M.

As the Clean Water Act hits a 50-year milestone, it’s important to remember that protecting water resources is done not only at the federal level, but also locally. This free webinar will highlight best practices to employ to improve local waterways. It will also discuss ways to get involved, including upcoming events such as the 2022 Pumpkin Smash and the Cooking Oil Collection Day after Thanksgiving. One PDH will be offered.

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Pumpkin Smash 2022: Green Your Halloween

Saturday, November 5, 2022, 9:00 A.M. - Noon

Don't trash it, smash it! Sponsored by SWM and coordinated by SCARCE, the Pumpkin Smash is an annual effort to divert pumpkins from landfills on the Saturday after Halloween. SCARCE provides locations for residents to drop off jack-o-lanterns to be composted. A list of DuPage County drop-off locations will be available soon. To date, the Pumpkin Smash has diverted more than 90 tons of pumpkins from landfills in DuPage County.

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