Overflow Action Days™
The regional combined sewer system cannot always handle the amount of rain that falls in addition to the daily load of sewage and industrial waste. Heavy rainfalls and rapid snow melt can tax the region's sewage system, resulting in the release of untreated wastewater into the Chicago-Calumet River system. That's why Friends of the Chicago river founded Overflow Action Days™ to empower action to help take pressure off the system and reduce the chances of a combined sewer overflow. Sign up to be alerted when it's time to act!
Here are some things you can do:
- Delay or reduce shower times
- Put off running the dishwasher
- Wait to wash clothes in the laundry
- Flush the toilet less: if it's yellow, let it mellow!
- Replace old and leaky faucets, toilets and showerheads with new products approved by EPA WaterSense
- Incorporate green infrastructure on your property to save water and slow the flow of stormwater into the system
