Friends of the Chicago River
Chicago River Industry

Green FrogClean Water and Healthy Fish

A Quick Overview

After five years of study, in October 2007 the Illinois EPA called for new water quality standards to protect people and wildlife that use and live in the river. Basing the changes on current use and what could happen if the water was cleaner, among the recommendations was the call to kill sewage from bacteria through disinfection as part of the wastewater treatment process.

A practice employed in major cities all across the country and many neighboring ones including Milwaukee and Gary, disinfection is a common technology that kills pathogens in sewage.

“Dear Pollution Control Board:
I am a student at Thomas J. Waters elementary school and I have some very bad news. My class was testing the Chicago River’s water and we got horrible results. The Chicago River is much polluted from all of the sewage and trash just dumped into the river.”

Clean water is guaranteed by the United States Clean Water Act and the Constitution of Illinois, yet every day we get 1.2 billion gallons of sewage effluent in dumped into our river. This means that while we and our families and friends paddle, fish, swim, Jet Ski or row, we are exposing ourselves to harmful bacteria from sewage that could make us sick. Recent developments (see home page) mean that we will see disinfection put in place at Northside and Calumet but that is not enough.

Tell the Illinois Pollution Control Board that you want disinfection at all the sewage plants that discharge into the Chicago and Calumet rivers and fish protected now.

What You Can Do:

Thousands of elected officials, community groups, families, students, recreation and environmental advocates and individuals have expressed their support for a clean river that is sewage free and safe for fish by submitting letters to the Illinois Pollution Control Board. Check out the list and join them by sending a letter to:

John Therriault, Chief Clerk
Clerks Office
Attention Docket #R2008-09
Illinois Pollution Control Board
100 W. Randolph, Suite 11-500
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Who is in Favor?

Select Supporters
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk
U.S. Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., 2nd Congressional District of Illinois
U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley, 10th District
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Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan
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State Representative Elizabeth Coulson, 17th District of Illinois
State Representative John A. Fritchey, 11th District of Illinois
State Representative Esther Golar, 6th District of Illinois
State Representative Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, 24th District of Illinois
State Representative Kevin Joyce, 35th District of Illinois
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Former Mayor Richard M. Daley
Chicago Park District
City of Chicago Department of Environment
Elizabeth Tisdahl, Mayor, City of Evanston

MWRD Commissioner Michael Alvarez
MWRD Commissioner Frank Avila
MWRD Commissioner Pat Horton
MWRD Commissioner Barbara McGowan
MWRD Commissioner Kathleen Meany
MWRD Commissioner Cynthia Santos
MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore
MWRD Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos
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Environmental Law & Policy Center
Illinois Paddling Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
Openlands
Prairie Rivers Network
Sierra Club of Illinois
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The City of Chicago aldermen voted to support a Chicago River resolution in 2011 in favor of disinfection, championed by Alderman George Cardenas, 12th Ward

A Little History

Because of the legacy of pollution that haunts them, the Chicago River, the Calumet and related waterways haven’t been treasured and cared for like Lake Michigan and the outdated standards that govern them reflect that. In fact, since the early days of Chicago, we treated Chicago’s inland waterway system like our alleys, dumping our trash and sewage right into the water, resulting in poor conditions for people and wildlife.

After more than 100 years of this abuse the Chicago River and the others were so polluted that when the Clean Water Act passed in 1972 officials were convinced no one would ever want to fish or swim here and set standards incredibly low.

Fortunately, after years of improvement through leadership and ingenuity by government bodies like the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which implemented enterprising projects like the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, and groups like Friends of the Chicago River that focused on habitat restoration and long range planning for river access and river improvement, the Chicago River and its sister streams are alive with activity both on and under the water.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to do the right thing.

What is Happening Now?

The proposed water quality standards that are before the IPCB for review are the result of a five-year study by the Illinois EPA. This study, called a Use Attainability Analysis (UAA), looked at the rivers’ use and potential use as part of a review process required by the Clean Water Act. From their research, the Illinois EPA determined that the Chicago and Calumet systems are overdue for higher water quality standards that would better support current and future use by people and aquatic life. If approved, the new standards will result in the most significant water quality improvements in over 20 years.

What Waterways are Affected by the Proposed Improvement?

The area under review is known as the Chicago Area Waterways, or CAWS. CAWS consists of the Chicago River, its North Branch and South Branch, the North Shore Channel, the Cal-Sag Channel, the Calumet river system, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Lake Calumet and the tributaries in an area extending from the metropolitan Chicago area to the Lockport vicinity.

What are the Proposed Improvements?

There are a myriad of improvements recommended by the Illinois EPA, but Friends believes that the most critical are disinfection of wastewater treatment plant effluent for people and temperature control standards for fish.

What is Disinfection?

Disinfection is the general term for several processes that can be used to substantially reduce the amount of bacteria that is discharged in water that flows into rivers and streams as a by product of sewage treatment. Releasing water or effluent, as it is called, back into the natural environment is a standard sewage treatment process, yet without disinfecting it first, the amount of bacteria is very, very high and studies show that people who get wet can get sick. In most other major cities the effluent from wastewater treatment is disinfected.

What Does Temperature Mean for Fish?

Native fish species have evolved to thrive in our local environments, or ecosystems. According to fish sampling conducted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the MWRD, the Chicago River contains a diverse collection of almost 70 species of fish. Unnaturally high water temperatures have a tremendous negative impact on the fish. In addition, such warm water can create environments that are readily utilized by invasive species, such as the Asian carp, that are able to thrive in degraded ecosystems. The proposed water quality standards include provisions that protect native fish.

What Does it Mean for You?

Clean water is guaranteed by the Clean Water Act and the Constitution of Illinois, yet every day all kinds of pollution is dumped into the Chicago River, the Cal-Sag and Calumet River. This means that while our families and friends paddle, fish, swim, Jet Ski or row, we are exposing ourselves to harmful bacteria from sewage that can make us sick.

If the proposed water quality standards are changed to reflect how we use and want to use our rivers than we will all be able to share these wonderful natural and recreational resources that help make metropolitan Chicago a great place to live and continue to ensure that we are leaders in the move to protect our planet.