Is Illinois Prepared for Water Shortages?

Demand for water in Illinois is growing, but supply is not, according to the Metropolitan Planning Council.

To help shape and set direction for water governance in Illinois, MPC held a “Beyond Showerheads and Sprinklers” conference on May 16, 2008.

There, State and local officials, water authorities, conservation organizations, water companies and utilities, municipal water officials, agricultural and industrial water users, planners, and wastewater and storm water management professional, talked about the creation of a statewide framework for regional water supply planning. What will that framework be? How will it function? How can it protect our water resources and meet our residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and ecological needs?

Illinois, which draws water from the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and various subsurface aquifers, MCP stated “has the potential to be a regional leader in defining sustainable governance of our most valuable natural resource.”