MWRD Statement Regarding Burbank Flooding

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) issued the following statement  Friday morning regarding the Melvina Ditch Reservoir, flooding in Burbank:

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) President Kathleen Meany, Executive Director David St. Pierre, and Director of Maintenance and Operations Manju Sharma are currently on site at the Melvina Ditch Reservoir on 87th Street in Burbank with municipal officials and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the pump station is running at capacity and remains online.

Since 5 a.m. on Aug. 21, 5.5” of rain fell in the Burbank area. The average for the Chicagoland area was 2.3” overall. The intense rain in Burbank filled the drainage ditches and conveyance ways.

“We are doing everything we can to address the problem; however, there was too much rain in too little time,” said Pres. Meany. “The equipment is functioning as designed, but these events make it clear that we need a resilient plan for the Chicago region. Addressing these issues will take a collaborative effort between all government agencies.”

These storm events underline the need for the recent legislation that was passed expanding the MWRD’s ability to assist communities with these types of problems. “Ultimately, we all need to work together to figure out how to solve these issues because they’re not going away,” said Pres. Meany.

A MWRD Facebook post stated, "The levels in the Chicago Area Waterway System did not warrant the opening of the gates at any of the three control points to Lake Michigan."

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