Cook County Announces $20 Million Stormwater Management Project Implementation Program to Help Protect Communities from Flooding
Cook County Announces $20 Million Stormwater Management Project Implementation Program to Help Protect Communities from Flooding (Cook County, IL) — Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced $20 million in funding for the Stormwater Management Project Implementation Program. The initiative is led by the County’s Department of Transportation and Highways (DoTH). Funding for the program is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will advance 26 stormwater management projects throughout the County, with a focus on supporting under-resourced communities.
DoTH worked with key partners, including the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS) to select the 26 projects from previously unfunded/underfunded MWRD Stormwater Partnership applications, the Cook County Hazard Mitigation Plan priorities and other known locations where funding is critical to moving projects forward.
“This initiative reflects the mission, vision and values set forth in Cook County’s Policy Roadmap, which served as the guide for how the County’s ARPA allocation should be invested,” said President Preckwinkle. “Climate change will only exacerbate flooding across the County. This is especially true in communities with historic disinvestment which were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This program is one of many steps the County is taking to increase climate resiliency.”
Projects included in the agreement will advance planning, preliminary engineering, design engineering and construction phase projects. MWRD will be the lead agency for 16 of the 26 proposed projects, while the County will either work directly with communities or in-house to implement the remaining projects.
“We thank President Preckwinkle, the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the County’s Department of Transportation and Highways for their support in building resilience throughout Cook County,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “This critical funding will help us complete more stormwater management projects throughout Cook County, especially in disproportionately impacted areas deserving of our support.”
The Villages of Crestwood and Midlothian along with Bremen Township received $1.5 million to replace existing culverts, make channel improvements, and expand existing and construct new detention facilities to address local flooding.
“The Village of Crestwood and MWRD have worked together on several projects which have taken over 250 residents out of a flood plain. We hope to keep this great achievement going on this new endeavor,” said Crestwood Mayor Ken Klein. “We are thankful to have such a wonderful partnership with MWRD and Cook County to build stormwater resiliency.”
A full list of projects is available here.
“Developing a ‘pipeline’ of projects at different phases, positions projects for future potential funding opportunities,” said DoTH Superintendent Jennifer “Sis” Killen. “This program represents the priorities in our Long-Range Transportation Plan, Connecting Cook County.”
Cook County Announces $20 Million Stormwater Management Project Implementation Program to Help Protect Communities from Flooding
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