DuPage County Stormwater Management News & Updates

DuPage County, Illinois sent this bulletin at 11/22/2024 03:12 PM CST

November 2024                                                                                                                             View this email in your browser
DuPage County Currents

SWM Hosts Successful Professional Training for Pollution Prevention

pp seminar

Municipal staff from across the County mingle before presentations at Bloomingdale Golf Club in Bloomingdale.

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 roadway prevention pollution, including an engaging presentation from a hazardous chemical response company on their spill response operations.

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 Staff Conduct Annual County-Owned Dam Inspections

fawell

SWM staff walks the Armstrong Park Reservoir to inspect the dam. Flags are used to mark animal burrows and woody plants that could compromise the function of this dam that protects a portion of Carol Stream.

Earlier this month, Department staff got out into the field to inspect all of the dam facilities owned, operated and maintained by the County. In accordance with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' dam safety program, SWM inspects these dams annually for potential safety and security risks. The dams operating in the county--including Fawell Dam, Armstrong Park, and Gary Kehoe Reservoir--are a critical part of the county's flood management program. This hands-on approach to inspections assists with the maintenance and upkeep of our Stormwater facilities that continue to help combat severe flooding throughout the county.

Learn more about the County's flood control facilities.

Use the Right Amount of Salt this Winter

deicing

Click on the image above to view SWM's video on winter deicing tips for residents.

Winter is finally upon us, and we're asking residents to carefully consider how much salt you spread on your sidewalks and driveways. Sodium chloride, the main ingredient in common rock salt, poses a huge danger to aquatic life once it gets washed into waterways. You may be using far more salt than you need to make pathways safe, which not only harms waterways but is also a big waste of money and resources. Check out the video above for winter deicing tips, and click on the link below for amazing resources from our friends at the Salt Smart Collaborative.

Salt Smart Resources for Residents

Around Town

SCARCE's annual post-Halloween Pumpkin Smash was, well...a smash hit! On November 2nd and 9th, 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. Last year over 241 tons of pumpkins were composted! 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.

smash

Participants at some locations received tools to help with the smashing, like this baseball bat!

Upcoming Events

2024 Thanksgiving Cooking Oil Collection

Saturday, November 30, 2024, 9:00 A.M. - Noon

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. Click the link below for a full list of participating locations.

More Info and Site List