Water Supply Planning

Water resources are essential for sustaining economic prosperity, environmental and public health, and quality of life in the region. The leading sources of water in the region are Lake Michigan, groundwater aquifers, and the Fox and Kankakee Rivers. Access to Lake Michigan water has been critical to regional development and, if well managed, will continue to provide a sustainable supply of water into the future for much of the region. However, population growth and industrial development has led to increasing withdrawals from constrained groundwater resources.

A combination of strategies by stakeholders will be needed to ensure an adequate supply of water in northeastern Illinois. ON TO 2050 recognizes the need to coordinate and conserve the region’s shared water supply resources and presents a series of strategies focused on incorporating water supply and demand considerations into planning, strengthening regional water supply management, maintaining drinking water infrastructure, and managing demand. ON TO 2050 builds on the recommendations of Water 2050, which provided the region with a detailed set of water conservation and efficiency measures as well as land use planning strategies that protect supply, reduce demand, and minimize infrastructure costs.

As our region grows, it is critical that water resources are conserved and used efficiently. CMAP supports an integrated approach to water resource management and uses ON TO 2050 and Water 2050 to guide programming. Learn more about these regional efforts: