Officials in suburban Cicero are asking for better communication after storms deluged the area on Sunday, but the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago says it acted appropriately to try to limit flooding amid the heavy rain.
The district has a variety of tactics it can use to help ease burdens on sewers and prevent flood damage in areas near the Chicago River. They executed many of those plans on Sunday, including reversing the flow of the river both in downtown and near the Wilmette locks.
Still, Cicero officials say the district waited too long to open drainage lines, which could have mitigated flood damage that many residents suffered. “When they don’t release it back in a timely manner, it just backs right up,” Cicero Assessor Emilio Cundari said. “It’s into our sewer system and into the streets of our town, and into the basement of the residents of our town.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weeklyEd Staudacher of the MWRD defended the decisions made Sunday, saying that opening drainage channels too early would have had disastrous consequences.
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