Facilities Planning Area (FPA) is defined as "a centralized sewer service area to be considered for possible wastewater treatment facilities within a 20-year planning period."  CMAP is the designated water quality planning agency for the seven-county region, with responsibility for reviewing wastewater permits and facility plans to ensure consistency with the federally approved  Illinois Water Quality Management Plan.  CMAP's Wastewater Committee conducts reviews of requested changes to the plan's current water-treatment boundaries (2011 boundaries map) and makes recommendations to the Illinois EPA, which maintains decision-making authority for amendments to the plan.  Click here for the list of outcomes for prior FPA requests (updated September 24, 2012). In filling its central advisory function, CMAP evaluates the following factors to ensure water quality:

• Geographic location of wastewater FPA boundaries.
• Designated management agencies for collection, treatment and transport within each FPA.
• Capacity of current and planned treatment facilities, including the identification of all facility locations and discharge points.

For further details, please see the "Water Quality Management Plan Amendment Process Book" which includes an overview of the review criteria.  You may also see the document entitled  "Review Criteria for Amendment to the Areawide Water Quality Management Plan."  Also see the   "Illinois Department of Agriculture land and water resources guidelines," which must be addressed in every FPA application. 

To ensure consistency with the non-point source management policies and objectives of the "Illinois Water Quality Management Plan", the IEPA and CMAP recommend local adoption of ordinances or regulations which provide for water quality protection which is comparable to the objectives and standards of the following ordinances.

•   Model Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance 
•   Model Floodplain Ordinance
•   Model Stream and Wetland Protection Ordinance     
•   Model Stormwater Drainage and Detention Ordinance  
•  Model Water Use Conservation Ordinance

Apply for a Water Quality Management Plan Amendment

CMAP recommends that, prior to initiating an FPA request, you attend a pre-application meeting with our support staff.  Please contact Dawn Thompson at 312-386-8676 to set up an appointment.  Note that a fee of $10.00 per acre is required.  Also, refer to this "Checklist of documents" that should be submitted with each application.  When you're ready to apply, print and fill out the " Water Quality Management Plan Amendment Application form"  then mail two copies to the CMAP Wastewater Committee c/o Dawn Thompson, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Sears Tower, Chicago, Illinois, 60606.  Please include the appropriate fee payment via check or money order made out the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

FPA Boundary Maps

Facility Planning Area Boundary area base maps dispict and label Facility Planning Area Boundaries; political subdivisions; surface waters; roads; railways; townships; range and section lines and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System locations.

To obtain copies of the Year 2011 FPA Boundary maps contact the CMAP Publications Department at (312) 454-0400.