DuPage County Stormwater Management News & Updates

DuPage County, Illinois sent this bulletin at 11/21/2023 10:25 AM CST

November 2023                                                                                                                             View this email in your browser
DuPage County Currents

City of Wood Dale, Walker Elementary Earn Water Quality Flags

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Top: SCARCE Director and Founder Kay McKeen, County Board Member Michael Childress and SWM staff present the Water Quality Flag to Wood Dale staff and officials, including Mayor Nunzio Pulice. Bottom: Staff from Walker Elementary School, SCARCE and SWM, along with SWM Committee Member Lucy Evans, pose with all the student members of the schoo's Eco Club.

This month, SWM and SCARCE awarded Water Quality Flags to both the City of Wood Dale and Walker Elementary School in Clarendon Hills for their efforts to protect water quality. The City of Wood Dale has accomplished much to earn their flag, including green infrastructure improvements, a rain barrel rebate program, Salt Creek cleanup events and the Green Fair. County Board Member Michael Childress joined SCARCE and SWM staff in presenting the award to Wood Dale Mayor Nunzio Pulice and members of the Wood Dale for a Greener Tomorrow committee.

Students, teachers and parents at Walker Elementary all got involved in the water quality flag process, attending presentations and workshops focused on the importance of clean water. Students also made a field trip to the SCARCE facility to get hands-on with all kinds of exhibits and educational models. County Board Member Lucy Evans joined SCARCE and SWM in presenting the flag to the student members of the school's Eco Club and their teacher sponsor Sarah Karrow.

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SWM Hosts Second Professional Training This Year

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ENCAP President Jonathan Koepke speaks to attendees about best practices for sediment and erosion control.

In early November, SWM hosted the annual Pollution Prevention Seminar for MS4 Communities. Municipal engineers, field crews and consultants gathered at Bloomingdale Golf Club to hear presentations revolving around construction site sediment and erosion control, including an engaging discussion panel with permitting staff on the problems they see most often.

Since 2018, SWM has led a countywide water quality program, partnering with 41 municipalities and townships on meeting the requirements of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. ILR40 for Stormwater Discharges. This program aligns water quality goals countywide, eliminates redundancies, and reduces the reporting and paperwork burden on communities. As part of this program, SWM hosts staff training for public agencies each year, saving approximately $400,000 in taxpayer dollars annually.

SWM and IAFSM Host Successful FEQ Modeling Class

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Students give their undivided attention to the teacher as she explains the finer points of the FEQ program.

SWM partnered with the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM) to present an introductory course for the FEQ hydraulic modeling program. A mix of county staff and engineering consultants convened on campus for three days in early November to learn the ins and outs of the computer program, which is a critical component of SWM's floodplain mapping and watershed management programs. FEQ was developed by Linsley, Kraeger Associates, Ltd. and is verified and supported by the US Geological Survey.

Around Town

SCARCE's annual post-Halloween Pumpkin Smash was, well...a smash hit! On November 4th, hundreds of residents across DuPage County participated in the pumpkin carnage at 24 locations. Although the total weights haven't been announced yet, this year's sure to be a record-breaker, with a massive amount of local and regional press coverage leading up to the event. Diverting pumpkins from landfills saves all the water stored in them, reduces methane emissions from landfills, and creates a rich soil that can serve a much better purpose out of the trash heap.

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Students from Downers Grove South High School pose with their dumpster after a full day of collection. Nice haul!

Retirement

This month, we're saying goodbye to one of SWM's longest-tenured employees, Tomaras "TW" Woods! TW has been with the County since before Stormwater Management even existed, and has played a role in developing almost every aspect of the Department over the years. TW is very much looking forward to spending more time with his grandson and the rest of his family. We thank you TW for your dedicated service and wish you the best in your retirement!

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Chair Jim Zay and Director Sarah Hunn recognize Tomaras Woods' retirement at November's Committee meeting.

Upcoming Events

Water Quality Webinar: Be Salt Smart at Home

Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 7:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

Winters here in Northeastern Illinois bring the challenge of dealing with snow and ice, which generally means using salt. While we need to keep everyone safe, salt is very damaging to both our natural and built environments. Excess salt damages buildings and vehicles, harms our pets and plants and degrades our rivers, wetlands and groundwater. The Salt Smart Collaborative is helping to support communities using best winter practices to keep you safe while using less salt. Hear from Jennifer Hammer, Director of Watershed Programs for The Conservation Foundation during this free webinar that will introduce the challenges and opportunities for homeowners to be Salt Smart.

Register Here

2023 Thanksgiving Cooking Oil Collection

Saturday, November 25, 2023, 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

In partnership with SCARCE, select DuPage County communities will be collecting used, liquid cooking oil (no bacon grease or other solid animal fats) to be recycled into biodiesel. The goal of this one-day event is to make it easier for residents to dispose of their leftover or expired liquid cooking oil properly. In addition, DuPage County has 12 permanent collection locations for recycling cooking oil year-round.

More Info and Site List