{"id":48930,"date":"2025-07-31T01:35:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T01:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/48930\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T01:35:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T01:35:10","slug":"chicagoans-asked-to-reduce-water-use-as-heavy-rain-storms-hit-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/48930\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicagoans Asked To Reduce Water Use As Heavy Rain, Storms Hit City"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 Officials are warning Chicagoans to reduce their water usage in their homes ahead of heavy rain expected to hit Wednesday into Thursday.<\/p>\n

A line of thunderstorms are expected to move into the area Wednesday afternoon, with lightning strikes, damaging winds and heavy rainfall that could result in flooding, according to the National Weather Service<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The storms are also expected to create life-threatening conditions along the lakefront, with waves between 5-9 feet tall anticipated through Friday, according to the weather service<\/a>.\u00a0Showers and storms \u2014 and the possibility of flooding \u2014 could linger into Thursday morning. <\/p>\n

Wednesday\u2019s storms come after heavy rain on Monday caused widespread flooding on the Southwest Side<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Storms will continue to develop across west-central IL this morning then track eastward while strengthening through mid-afternoon. Any storm east of I-55 including up to the southern Chicago metro will be capable of producing damaging winds and flooding from torrential rainfall. pic.twitter.com\/dU2rYVMSRn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Officials at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago issued an \u201coverflow action alert<\/a>\u201d Wednesday morning ahead of the rainfall, asking residents to reduce water use to help prevent the sewer system from overflowing.<\/p>\n

In Chicago, stormwater sewers use the same pipes that buildings use for their wastewater. Taking a shower, flushing a toilet too frequently or running the dishwasher or washing machine \u2014 all of which use a lot of water \u2014 can contribute to an overflow of the system, causing a sewer backup during heavy rainfall, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen too much water enters sewers too quickly, the sewers can back up into streets and basements. Additionally, extra water in sewers can cause them to overflow into the river in some cases,\u201d officials said in the alert.\u00a0\u201cEvery little bit of conservation can help reduce the overall amount of water in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"An example of Chicago area waterway system operations during normal (top), moderate (middle) and severe (bottom) conditions. Credit: Provided.<\/p>\n

The district\u2019s tunnel and reservoir system<\/a> captures and stores both stormwater and sewage that would otherwise overflow from sewers into waterways during stormy weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The nearly 12-billion-gallon system allows sewage and stormwater to be diverted to the Majewski Reservoir near Elk Grove Village, Thornton Composite Reservoir near South Holland and McCook Reservoir in Bedford Park via four tunnels that extend for 110 miles.<\/p>\n

Cooler and much less humid conditions are expected Thursday through the weekend with plenty of sunshine.<\/p>\n

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:<\/p>\n

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