Chicago receives updated NPDES permit from Illinois EPA

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit to the city of Chicago.

The permit will add oversight and monitoring of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) to Chicago waterways. The revisions are a result from stakeholder input, and include substantial enhancements.

The final permit will govern eleven outfalls with discharges to water in the state. The discharges occur after significant rainfall events which end up in the reservoirs operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) that support Chicago’s sewer system reach capacity.

“This final permit is an outstanding example of collaboration between government entities, environmental advocates, and other members of the public to bring about a robust permit that will further protect the waters and our environment in the greater Chicago area,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim in a press release.

The updated permit includes heightened monitoring standards to ensure discharges do not adversely affect waterways around Chicago. It also includes enhanced reporting, planning and public engagement requirements, which require the prioritization of protection for communities of environmental concern.

“While this permit expands on monitoring of combined sewer overflows, it also incorporates a number of other requirements to further address issues raised through the public engagement,” said Kim in the press release.

The article in this story originally ran as Illinois EPA updates NPDES permit to the city of Chicago on Stormwater Solutions, an Endeavor Business Media partner site.