The DuPage Water
Commission
Water Journey to your Tap
Technical Presentation
by:
Terry McGhee
&
Jenessa Rodriguez
DuPage Water
Commission
February 24, 2015
The Water Cycle

Water is constantly being recycled
through the earth’s water cycle.

Human can consume fresh water
faster than natural replenishment.

We all use water, so we should do
our part to protect and preserve it.

Conserving water is beneficial to
our community, because it:

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Protects our water supply for the
future, the environment, and natural
ecosystems
Saves energy and money
The Great Lakes are
key to regional water
supply

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The Great Lakes are the largest system of fresh, surface
water on earth, containing roughly 18% of the world fresh
water supply.
Lake Michigan is the second largest of the Great Lakes.
WATER SURFACE AREA: 22,300 sq.
miles / 57,800 sq. km.
LENGTH: 307 miles / 494 km.
BREADTH: 118 miles / 190 km.
SHORELINE LENGTH (including
islands): 1,638 miles / 2,633 km.
AVERAGE DEPTH: 279 ft. / 85 m
ELEVATION: 577 ft. / 176 m.
MAXIMUM DEPTH: 925 ft. / 282 m.
OUTLET: Straits of Mackinac to Lake
Huron
VOLUME: 1,180 cubic miles / 4,920
cubic km.
Protecting
our Water
Supply

As Chicago grew during the second half of the 19th
century, human and industrial waste openly flowed
into the Chicago River. As the river (and Lake
Michigan) became increasingly polluted a new
solution was needed
 On August 2, 1885, more than 5 inches of rain fell
in less than 24 hours, the deluge overwhelmed the
inadequate sewage system, causing raw sewage to
flow far out into Lake Michigan.
Reversal of
the Chicago River


Fearing a public health disaster caused by unofficial public
health records. The newly created Sanitary District of
Chicago began planning a massive construction project that
would permanently divert Chicago’s sewage away from the
lake and toward the Gulf of Mexico, connecting the Great
Lakes and Mississippi River basins.
Contrary to historical accounts claiming more than 90,000
deaths from typhoid fever and cholera. A current day review
of health records show the death rate from typhoid was
slightly above average and there were no deaths from
cholera following the great downpour.
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Construction of
the Chicago
Sanitary and Ship
Canal
In 1892 construction of the $31 million project had begun and
is considered by some historians to be the largest public works
excavation undertaken up to that time.
On May 2, 1900, Admiral George Dewey dedicated the
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal across the continental divide
connecting the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River
The resulting improvement in water quality was quickly
apparent with a significant drop in the death rate from typhoid
and similar water‐borne diseases.
In the 30 years following completion of the canal, death rates
from contagious diseases were cut in half.
Diverting Water from Lake
Michigan

A similar channel (the Cal‐Sag)
was constructed in 1922 to
connect the Little Calumet River
to the Sanitary canal and
ultimately to the Mississippi River
system
 In 1938, a controlling works and
lock were built at the mouth of the
Chicago River to limit direct
diversions from Lake Michigan
and to prevent the river from
flowing back into Lake Michigan
during significant storm events.
1
DuPage
County
Boundary
(approximate)
2
3
Water
discharged
outside
Great Lakes
Basin
Wilmette Pumping Station next
to the Bahai Temple
Chicago River Lock and
Controlling Works
O’Brien Lock and Dam in
Calumet
Lockport Powerhouse and
Lock
The water drops a total of 159 feet from 578
at Lake Michigan to 419 feet at the
Mississippi River at Grafton, Illinois.
The Chicago
Diversion
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Starting after 1900 the mean annual diversion rates increased steadily
to a maximum of 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). (6.4 billion gallons
per day in 1928)
Other Great Lakes basin states and Canada objected to the diversion,
citing the impact on lake levels
Starting in 1912 , The U.S. Supreme Court issued a series of rulings
that repeatedly lowered the allowable diversion (excluding domestic
water pumpage) to 1,500 cfs (0.96 billion gallons per day) by 1938.
In 1967, Illinois agreed to a consent decree that limited the total
diversion for navigation, domestic water use, and sanitation to 3,200 cfs
(2.06 billion gallons per day)
The Chicago
Diversion
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The decree was modified in 1980 to allow Illinois to provide water to
additional communities.
In 1996, Illinois reached an agreement with Michigan and other Great
Lakes states to restore water taken in excess of 3,200 cfs (2.1 billion
gallons/day) since 1980 to Lake Michigan
The reversal of flow between basins and the diversion of Lake Michigan
water has long been a source of contention among competing interests.
Therefore, such flows are routinely measured and reported to provide
policy makers and managers with important information for
decision‐making.
Currently, water that flows directly from Lake Michigan through locks
and controlling works accounts for between 10 and 15 percent of the
total diversion
Drainage Basin
Great Lakes Compact
Controls Water Use

An agreement between the Great Lakes
States and two Canadian Provinces
Sources: Great Lakes
Information
Network; Bulletins
to provide unprecedented protections
E-1866-70, Sea Grant College
Program, 1985.
for the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin
 Ban on new diversions, with limited exceptions
 States required to regulate in-basin water uses
 Uniform standard for evaluating withdrawal proposals
 States required to adopt water conservation plan
 Water shipped in small containers (< 20 l) not a diversion
 Waters of Great Lakes include rivers and groundwater
 Illinois diversion at Chicago exempted

Supreme Court ruling allows for 3,200 cfs diversion for Chicago
Source: Annin, Peter. The Great Lakes Water Wars. 2006.
Chicago Diversion Brings Attention to
Management of Water in NE Illinois
Lake Michigan Diversion at Chicago

DuPage
County
Boundary
(approximate)
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Water
discharged
outside
Great Lakes
Basin

Unique access to Great Lakes
Water
Illinois only about 0.3% of Basin
Reversal of Chicago River allows
for discharge of stormwater and
treated wastewater down river
and OUT of Great Lakes Basin
Supreme Court ruling allows for
3,200 cfs diversion
Diversion
management/accounting of
potable water supply, lock
leakage, discretionary flow,
navigation makeup and
stormwater diversion
Lake Michigan
Our Water Source
The Treatment process
Carter Harrison / Dever Cribs


Water from Lake Michigan enters the intake crib at depths of
20 to 30 feet.
Water enters the purification plant's intake basin through a
tunnel beneath the lake bed.
Building the Intake tunnels
James W. Jardine Water
Purification Plant
James W. Jardine Water
Purification Plant
Tunnel Boring Machine
12 foot Diameter Tunnel
12 foot Diameter Tunnel
Lexington Pumping Station
Lexington Pumping Station
Lexington Pumping Station
Lexington Pumping Station
Lexington Pumping Station
90” Transmission Main
Installation
Des Plaines River Crossing
90” Transmission Main
Installation

Second largest water system in the State of
Illinois
 Sole source of Lake Michigan water inside
DuPage County
 The Commission purchases finished water from
the City of Chicago and wholesales it to the
communities located inside DuPage County
 Operates under the authority of the Water
Commission Act of 1985
System Background
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Responsible for water to ≈ 800,000 people
DuPage Pumping Station has a capacity of 185
MGD with an average day demand of 86 MGD
Site covers ≈ 10 acres
Two 15 MG reservoirs
Disinfection facilities
Back-up generation facilities
System Background

202 miles of pipelines ranging
in size from 12” to 90”
 78 Metering Stations
 249 Turbine meters
 34 Remotely Operated Valves
 5 Standpipes (32.5 MG of
storage)
 1 Remote Pump Station with
an emergency interconnection
to the Village of Schaumburg
Three Types of Water Main
Installation
Typical Meter Station
Typical Remotely Operated Valve
(ROV) Control Cabinet
Typical Tank Site (TS3)
Tank Site 1 Pump station
DuPage Water Commission
Design Considerations

LEED ® is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – a
green building rating system as devised by the U.S. Green Building
Council. Benefits of green building include:


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
Save 15% to 20% in annual energy costs
Conservation of water and other natural resources
Reduced overall impact on the environment
Some LEED considerations for LPS


Innovative On-site use of Photovoltaic Cell produced energy to Pumps
or Building uses.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) – purchase and/or sale of power
generated by renewable sources (Photovoltaic Cells)
Why Go Green?
 Main
drivers for LEED certification:
 Commitment to environmental stewardship
 Resource sustainability
 Prudent long-range planning
 Applied triple bottom line in the decision making process:
 People
 Planet
 Profit
 The Commission is committed to being a leader in the
water industry while proving that local government can
operate in an efficient and environmentally sound
method.
Major Technologies Used to Promote
Sustainability:
13,000 Gallon Rainwater Collection System
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2 Cisterns on Site
18’ Diameter, 12’-6”
Tall
Capture Rainwater,
Eliminate Flow into
Sewers
Stored Water Used
to Wash Vehicles
and for Irrigation
Major Technologies Used to Promote
Sustainability:
6,200 Square Foot Green Roof

Reduces Urban
Heat Island Effect
 Made of Succulent
Plants Designed to
Retain and Filter
Water Prior to
Release into the
Cisterns
Major Technologies Used to Promote Sustainability:
Site Design Using a Detention Pond, Bioswale, and
Native Plantings
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Detention Pond
Provides Settling
Area for Further
Removal of
Suspended Solids
Bio-swale and
Detention Pond
Naturally Filter
Storm water and
Reduce Runoff
Native Plantings
Reduce 50% of
Water Used for
Landscaping
Bio-Swale Construction
Major Technologies Used to Promote
Sustainability: Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures
Reservoir Converted to Savanna and
installation of Native Prairie Plants
Top of Covered Parking
Storm Water Retention Pond
Solar Wall
Benefits
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Completed by local contractors
Projected to use 40% less water than baseline requirements with ultra low
flow bathroom and plumbing fixtures
6,200 square foot green roof to reduce building runoff
13,000 gallon rainwater cistern system to reuse water on site as well as a
bioswale and detention pond
Reduced storm water runoff by approximately 30% of pre-construction
conditions.
Benefits
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Approximately 100% or 11,300 tons of construction debris
was recycled and thereby diverted from landfills.
Recycled the existing 4,500 square foot vehicle
maintenance/storage facility into the generator facility.
Facility exceeds the energy performance requirements of
ASHRAE 90.1 by 14%.
Automatic light fixture dimming controls along with natural day
lighting to reduce the lighting load in the facility.
Wrap Up

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The Commission’s LEED building has only been up and
running for a short time so we will have to wait before we
can calculate the actual saving generated by the addition
of these increased efficient building system such as :
 Short Term (lighting, water use, and heating & cooling)
 Long Term (fixture replacement & wear and tear on
materials)
Immediate benefits:
 Healthier work environment for employees
 Smaller carbon footprint
 Reduced impact on the surrounding environment
Wrap Up

DWC is pleased with the end result of this
project
 Proud that we were able to achieve LEED Sliver
for this project
 Project received ACEC Illinois Special
Achievement Award – Energy category
Water Conservation and Protection
Program (WCAPP) Overview


Primary driver for DWC WCAPP is commitment to
stewardship and prudent long-term planning
To implement water conservation in DuPage
County, DWC will:
 Develop and communicate clear and consistent
message
 Implement select group of programs to create
initial surge in conservation efforts
 Organize and distribute conservation resources
and tools to be evaluated, customized and used
by individual Member Utilities to promote
effective local programs
DuPage County Water Usage
Summary
Water Usage Summary
Average daily water
use for Lake Michigan
water users in
DuPage County is 106
gallons/person/day
Over 71% of total
water use is for
residential customers
Source: Summary of data from DWC and Illinois Department
of Natural Resources Data does not include unaccounted for
flow values for Argonne or IAWC.
Note: Summary data only includes Lake Michigan water
delivered by DuPage Water Commission Member Utilities to
their customers. Data does not include any groundwater use.
Baseline Analysis of DWC
Water Usage
Regional Water Conservation
Program
Program’s overall goal is to achieve a 10 %
reduction in water use per person within 10 years.
You can help by:
saving
gallons of
saving
gallon of
for 10 years.
per day
per day every year
Programs were chosen by their potential
to have the greatest impact
Average Indoor and Outdoor Water
Use in a Non-conserving Home
Average Indoor Water Use in a Nonconserving Home
Outdoor
31%
Indoor
69%
80 – 90% of the outdoor
component of residential water
use goes to lawn care
WCAPP focuses on conservation
education and awareness
Four education programs were developed, combining
conservation measures (hardware) with educational
materials (incentive)
Program 1 – Water Pledge
Program 2 – Residential Leak Detection and
Repair
Program 3 – Rain Gauge and Landscape Irrigation
Program 4 – Rain Barrel
Conservation Education Program 1
– Water Pledge
Water conservation is everyone’s responsibility.
There are two groups asked to make a water conservation pledge:
Your Water Utility
You
How can you pledge?
Fill out the pledge either online at
www.preservingeverydrop.org or by mail
Identify the ways that you can conserve water in and
around your home
Examples of ways to conserve are:
Decrease your shower by two minutes
saves 10 gal for a regular showerhead
saves 5 gal for a low-flow showerhead
Repair leaky toilets
A small toilet leak can save you $50 or more per year through
lower water and sewer bills!
Conservation Education Program 2
– Leak Detection and Repair
Toilet leaks can waste over 100 gallons a day!
There is a simple, easy way to check your toilet for leaks!
Packets that can be found at the Water Conservation table.
Dye tablets (or food coloring) helps determine if
there is a leak by placing the tablet into the tank
of your toilet then waiting 10 minutes to see if the
color has appeared in the bowl.
If the color appears in the bowl it means your
toilet is leaking.
Most toilets leak because the flapper is worn out,
this is a $5 piece that is easily replaced.
in
is leaking
Conservation Education Program 3
– Rain Gauge and Landscape
Watering
On average, ½ of the annual water used in a single-family
home will be used for lawn care!
Rain gauges measure how much rain your lawn
receives.
They can help you tell when to water outdoor plants and turf and how much
to water.
Rain gauges have information on how to best
use them as well as helpful lawn care tips, such as:
A typical Illinois lawn ONLY needs about 1-1½” of
water each week.
Make sure to place your rain gauge free from overhang:
trees, shrubs, gutters
Conservation Education Program 4
– Rain Barrel Usage
Watering lawns wastes our drinking water and
energy resources.
Watering lawns can be accomplished with
rain water instead.
Rain barrels
Collects the mineral-rich, chlorine free
rain water from your downspout that can be
used for watering plants and grass
Conserves drinking water used for lawn care
A quarter-inch of rain falling on the average
home yields more than 200 gallons of water
Year 4 Implementation

Priorities for 2015 include:
 DWC to continue support and outreach to
member utilities
• Continuing Programs
• New Program Placeholder
 DWC to continue public education and outreach
• Videos
• School outreach
• Community events
Preserving Every Drop Website
http://www.preservingeverydrop.org
Questions