Outside Praise For Elmhurst's Flooding Solutions

Elmhurst IL

26 May, 2022

9:08 AM

Description

ELMHURST, IL – Years ago, Elmhurst residents wore "I Flood and I Vote" T-shirts. And they marched in parades calling for local politicians to take the problem seriously. In the last decade, the city has spent tens of millions of dollars on flooding projects. The problem still occurs, but not on the scale as before. To be sure, streets flood, frustrating residents. But city officials say such flooding is by design – better that roadways, rather than houses, fill up with water. Officials and residents in other towns hold Elmhurst as a model for how to deal with drainage. That was the case at this week's meeting of the La Grange Village Board. A couple of residents complained about flooding in their neighborhood. They said the village was doing nothing about the problem. Officials disagreed and pointed out what they were doing. One of the actions was the hiring of Rosemont-based Christopher Burke Engineering. "They were the point person for Elmhurst, which did a remarkable job in mitigating their flooding," Village President Mark Kuchler said. "We wanted to bring them in, and we have." One of the residents praised Elmhurst, among other suburbs. "We know our system is inadequate," La Grange resident Laura West said. "This is nothing new. How many more years will we be waiting for action? Anything, absolutely anything, while other villages, Western Springs, Hinsdale, Elmhurst, to name a few, have come up with cost-efficient and viable solutions for their residents." Last year, another La Grange resident held up Elmhurst as an example of a town that solves flooding problems.