One Year Later: Public Meetings Mark Milestone for Sewer Overflow Notification System
A sewer outfall on the North Branch of the Chicago River near Lathrop Homes.
In March, Friends of the Chicago River co-hosted two public meetings with the city of Chicago to gather community input on a proposed notification system designed to alert people when sewer overflows impact the Chicago River. These meetings marked a major milestone in the first year of implementation of the city’s new sewer outfall permit, championed by Friends, and issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) on April 1, 2024.
Both meetings were a success, with more than 45 people participating, including members of the paddling and rowing community, local residents, and representatives from environmental and public health organizations. Their thoughtful input helped refine the pilot design for a new public alert system, which as proposed will use lights and signage at boat launches to inform people to take caution following a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event. A recording of the virtual meeting can be accessed here (Passcode: h2WosXX@).
“The meetings underscore the continued importance of community involvement in improving water quality and river access,” said Friends’ Director of Policy and Conservation John Quail. “One year into the IEPA’s issuance of the city’s new NPDES permit, meaningful progress is underway, and public engagement is central to that work.”
Under the new system, warning lights at four pilot sites (River Park, Clark Park, Ping Tom Park, and Park 571) will flash red during an active overflow and yellow for a period of time after it ends. The alerts will be triggered automatically using data from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The system is designed to be simple, visible, and accessible: a major improvement over the current process, which requires individuals to navigate online maps and interpret text alerts only if you opt into the notification system. Because of the completion of the Thorn Reservoir, there are no active sewer outfalls on the southern part of the system, so public notification on the South Side of the city and south suburbs is unnecessary.
City staff and Friends of the Chicago River are reviewing the input gathered and will use it to guide adjustments to the pilot program. In the coming months, the city will finalize plans, begin installation at the pilot locations, and continue to build out a long-term vision for public notification that can be installed at additional public and private dock locations.
When the NPDES permit was approved in April 2024, it followed years of advocacy and a robust community engagement process led by Friends. It established strong new protections for the river and community members, including enhanced monitoring of outfalls, litter control requirements, and green infrastructure prioritization in environmental justice communities.
We’re proud to be part of this collaborative effort to make the river safer for people and healthier for wildlife and are excited to keep working together to ensure transparency, accountability, and equity are at the heart of every step forward.
