Residents in the Chicago area are being asked to curb their water usage Wednesday afternoon due to the threat of severe weather, which could bring heavy rains and tax already-stressed sewage treatment systems.
A flash flood watch has been issued for DuPage and Cook counties until 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, with slow-moving thunderstorms potentially dumping several inches of rain on the area.
As a result, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is issuing a “overflow action alert,” calling for residents to curb their water use to help ease burdens on sewer systems in the area.
Officials are asking those residents to delay taking showers or baths, as well as flushing their toilets less frequently.
Finally, residents are asked to wait to run the dishwasher or their washing machine at this time.
The district is responsible for keeping water levels down in the greater Chicago area’s sewer systems, with challenges emerging this week because of heavy rains over the weekend.
Officials were forced to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to get water out of the city and northern suburbs, and more rain could be on the way Wednesday afternoon, posing further stresses on that system.
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You can learn more about the district’s strategies on “overflow action days” on their website.
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