Northside Stormwater Management Project

February 22nd, 2017

Village of River Forest
APWA 2017 Suburban Branch Project of the Year
Environment ($5 Million to $25 Million)

ACEC 2017 Annual Engineering Excellence Merit Award

The Northside Stormwater Management Project was a sewer separation project designed to establish separate storm and sanitary sewer systems in the predominantly residential northern portion of the Village. The project provided the most cost-effective solution to achieving the Village’s primary goals of minimizing street flooding, eliminating basement sewer backups and reducing combined sewer overflows into the Des Plaines River, all while meeting the extensive permitting requirements and minimizing impacts to the surrounding residents and motoring public to the extent possible. The project was funded locally through the IEPA State Revolving Fund program.

In addition to providing critical flood protection to the predominantly residential 280-acre project area, the project delivers a substantial environmental benefit. The new storm sewer system reduces the amount of stormwater flowing into the downstream MWRD interceptor sewer, which lessens the occurrences and volume of combined sewage released into the Des Plaines River during rainfall events.   Additionally, the project has created additional capacity in MWRD’s interceptor sewer system by outletting tens of millions of gallons of stormwater each year directly to the Des Plaines River, its historic outfall, instead of being conveyed to MWRD interceptors.

The first project, known as Phase 0, was completed in the fall of 2014 and included the construction of a new 9-foot by 6-foot outfall to the Des Plaines River with internal energy dissipation, as well as a 9-foot by 6-foot box culvert, storm sewers ranging in size from 12 inches to 96 inches in diameter, a large cast-in-place concrete conflict structure and combined sewer and water main relocations. This advance contract was permitted and constructed on an accelerated schedule to complete the requisite improvements across Thatcher Avenue while it was already closed for a nearby IDOT bridge project, avoiding a second lengthy full closure of Thatcher Avenue during the following construction season.

The Phase 1 project, constructed in 2015, consisted of the construction of approximately 20,000 feet of storm sewers ranging from 12-inch to 96-inch diameter, 4,200 feet of new water main and 4,200 feet of new sanitary sewer, in addition to extensive water and sewer main and service relocations, large sewer conflict structures and roadway reconstruction work. The Phase 1 storm sewer was connected to the Phase 0 outfall and fully complete in November 2015, nearly 6 months ahead of schedule.

Bryan Welch, PE
Senior Project Manager
Civil Design Department