DuPage County Stormwater Management News & Updates

DuPage County, Illinois sent this bulletin at 10/23/2024 09:09 AM CDT

October 2024                                                                                                                                 View this email in your browser
DuPage County Currents

SWM Hosts Record-Breaking Crowds for Elmhurst Quarry Tours

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Visitors enjoyed rare views of the inner workings of the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control facility from three vantage points. Bottom Right: SWM Chair Jim Zay kicked the tours off with Elmhurst Aldermen Karen Sienko and Guido Nardini..

DuPage Stormwater Management, in partnership with the Elmhurst History Museum, opened its Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility for almost 600 people late last month. Guests got a rare inside look at this DuPage County landmark. During the tour, expert staff explained the engineering involved in using the Quarry to store floodwater, as well as the long history of the Quarry in the community. At 2.7 billion gallons of flood storage capacity, it is the largest of the 17 flood facilities in the County, and SWM is proud to share this important place with the public! Didn't get a ticket this year? Click the link below for a virtual tour of the Quarry from 2020!

Virtual Quarry Tour

The Conservation Foundation Seeking Volunteers for New Citizen Science Program

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

After a successful first year, The Conservation Foundation is seeking more volunteers to help protect the County's 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. DuPage County activities sponsored by DuPage Stormwater Management.

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SWM Accepting Water Quality Grant Applications

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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 26th 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 projects that improve water quality. Since the program began, SWM has awarded over $6.6 million dollars to 112 projects across the County. The application deadline is Friday, January 3, 2025. Click below for more information and a link to the online application.

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Around Town

Construction began late last month on a new drainage project in unincorporated Lombard. The Luther High Ridge Flood Control project involves installation of storm sewers along Luther Avenue and Edward Avenue. Martam Construction, the awarded bidder, has installed approx. 1620 feet of storm sewer just north of Roosevelt Road. Remaining work includes installing the rest of the sewer and construction near the outfall into Sugar Creek, as well as associated native plant restoration. This project is expected to be complete by late fall.

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Installation of storm sewer being completed along Roosevelt Road in unincorporated Lombard.

Upcoming Events

Pollution Prevention Seminar for MS4 Communities

Thursday, November 7, 2024, 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 presentations on pollution prevention from roadways and storm sewers. 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@dupagecounty.gov.

2024 Pumpkin Smash: Green Your Halloween

Saturday, November 2 AND Sat, Nov. 9, 2024, 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. Some locations have chosen to host their Smash on the second Saturday of November, please look carefully at the dates. Last year, over 241 tons of pumpkins were composted!

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Winter Chloride Watchers Training Session in Naperville

Thursday, November 7, 2024, 6:30 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

Join the Conservation Foundation at McDonald Farm or virtually 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. Click the link below to register!

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Salt Smart for Businesses and Property Owners

Thursday, November 14, 2024, 8:00 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.

Being Salt Smart means using winter deicing salt responsibly to minimize its negative impacts. This approach ensures that we maintain winter safety while protecting waterways, landscaping, pets, infrastructure, and even our wallets. Dive deep into reasons to be Salt Smart with Hanna Miller from The Conservation Foundation & Salt Smart Collaborative, and learn how to protect your investment by being Salt Smart!

Register Here