Four days after the most recent devastating flood saturated Forest Park and several other near west suburbs there was a fortuitous meeting of local mayors, public works directors and officials from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
State Rep Chris Welch deserves a portion of the credit for the sit-down suggesting that MWRD officials were extra responsive after he penned a potential bill in Springfield which would make the water district liable for future flooding. If he made this happen then we’re happy to laud his effort.
The takeaway to us is that the flooding problem is real, worsening and regional. We point to climate change. The MWRD points to increased development. Either way we need a plan that encompasses individual towns facing the costly prospects of major sewer overhauls, a regional effort focused on fairly massive infrastructure fixes that add capacity, and major state and federal financial support for all these projects.
Floods like what we have just endured have to be addressed and because the solutions are years in the making, we have to start now.
