DuPage County Stormwater Management News & Updates

DuPage County, Illinois sent this bulletin at 10/27/2023 09:37 AM CDT

October 2023                                                                                                                                 View this email in your browser
DuPage County Currents

SWM Accepting Water Quality Grant Applications

WQIP story map

Click the image above to explore the Water Quality Improvement Program Story Map.

The DuPage County Stormwater Management Planning Committee voted in October to begin accepting grant proposals for projects aimed at improving the quality of the County's waterbodies. In its 25th year, the Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) grant awards funding for projects exhibiting a regional water quality benefit, including green infrastructure and ecological restoration projects. Under the program, organizations and individuals may apply for reimbursement of up to 25 percent of construction costs for portions of projects that improve water quality. Since the program began, SWM has awarded over $6.3 million dollars to 108 projects across the County. The application deadline is Friday, January 5, 2024. Click below for more information and a link to the online application.

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The Conservation Foundation Seeking Volunteers for New Citizen Science Program

wcw

The Winter Chloride Watchers test kit makes it easy to monitor local waterways for excess chlorides.

The Conservation Foundation is introducing a new way for DuPage County residents to support the health of our local waterways. Winter Chloride Watchers is a program started by Illinois RiverWatch to support research on a rapidly growing wintertime pollutant: chlorides from road salt.

Volunteer Winter Chloride Watchers will learn the basics of chloride monitoring and take part in intermittent water testing at a local river or stream. The time commitment is minimal: attend a training, monitor a waterway of your choosing once a month from November through May, and fill out monthly reporting on a website. That’s it! With this data, our communities will gain a clearer picture of how chlorides affect aquatic life and how Salt Smart winter practices can reduce the amount of chlorides that reach waterways. Visit the link below for more details and to register for an upcoming training.

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SWM Staff Get Their Drone Wings

pilots

Three new staff drone pilots put their flying skills to the test.

Five SWM staff members recently earned their licenses to pilot drones, which will expand the use of drones in many of the Department's operations. Flying a drone for commercial or civic purposes requires a fully fledged certification from the FAA, which meant going to flight school and taking an exam at nearby DuPage Airport. SWM has been working with drones since 2015, primarily to inspect facilities, look for stream blockages, and even for emergency search and rescue operations. The new pilots expect to make great use of the Department's small drone fleet in their work, including  construction observation, wetland monitoring, flood damage assessment, permit inspections, and more.

Around Town

Located on DuPage County property in the Village of Lisle, the Stormwater Management Department is preparing to break ground on a flood control project called the Main Street Storage Flood Control Project.  When complete, the project will provide over 3,500,000 gallons of additional stormwater storage, new storm sewer lines, and native habitat restoration.  The project is expected to be awarded in November to the low bid contractor, with clearing work to begin shortly thereafter.

main st

Aerial view of the project site for Main Street Storage facility.

Upcoming Events

Pollution Prevention Seminar for MS4 Communities

Thursday, November 2, 2023, 8:00 A.M. - Noon

SWM is hosting our annual training for municipal staff and consultants on Pollution Prevention in-person at Bloomingdale Golf Club this year. Guest speakers will be giving presentation on construction site sediment and erosion control. This seminar is for employees of DuPage County MS4 municipalities/townships, and not open for the public. If you are a community employee or consultant and have not received an invitation to register, please contact Raul Galvan at raul.galvan@dupageco.org.

2023 Pumpkin Smash: Green Your Halloween

Saturday, November 4, 2023, 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

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 can be found at the link below. Last year, over 232 tons of pumpkins were composted!

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Winter Chloride Watchers Training Session in Addison

Tuesday, November 7, 2023, 7:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

Join the Conservation Foundation at Addison Village Hall to learn how to be a Winter Chloride Watcher! The program is a once-a-month commitment through the winter to testing a local waterway for chlorides, and reporting your results. This training session will teach you everything you need to know to make your work as easy as possible. Virtual training sessions will also be offered on November 14th, and December 6th. Click the link below to register!

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Intro FEQ Hydraulic Modeling Class

Tuesday, November 7-Thursday, November 9, 2023, 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

DuPage Stormwater and the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management are co-sponsoring an introductory class on FEQ Hydraulic Modeling. The class will run for three days at the DuPage County campus in Wheaton. The class will be limited to 25 attendees and offers Professional Development Hours and Continuing Education Credits. Register on the IAFSM website.

Register Here