Mission Statement 

To consider the future water supply needs of northeastern Illinois and develop plans and programs to guide future use that provide adequate and affordable water for all users, including support for economic development, agriculture and the protection of our natural ecosystems.

The Regional Water Supply Planning Group (RWSPG)  goals can be viewed through a link in the adjacent sidebar.

NEW:  Regional Water Demand Report.   The “Regional Water Demand Scenarios for Northeastern Illinois: 2005-2050, Project Completion Report” is now  available for download (1.2MB PDF).  Conducted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale on behalf of the ongoing regional water supply planning process orchestrated by CMAP and funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the new study reveals important consequences for the region by the year 2050.  The study generated three water demand scenarios by major user sectors and geographical subareas within the region. The scenarios represent water withdrawals under current demand conditions representing a current trends or “baseline” scenario (CT scenario) as well as under a less resource intensive (LRI) scenario and a more resource intensive (MRI) scenario, which were extended to the year 2050. While the the CT scenario assumes a continuation of recent trends for the variables modeled, the region’s public water supply needs could grow up to 57 percent by 2050 under the MRI scenario.  The report is an important input to the 11-county water supply plan that CMAP's Regional Water Supply Planning Group is developing.  Scheduled for completion in mid-2009, the plan will feature new recommendations that aim to reduce per capita demand and ensure adequate, reliable supplies of clean water at reasonable cost for all users. 

  

General Information 

In January 2006, Governor Blagojevich issued Executive Order 2006-1, calling for a statewide study of water-supply issues. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) has been commissioned by the State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to facilitate such a process for an 11-county planning area of northeastern Illinois.  See a brochure describing the statewide water-supply planning initiative.

CMAP hosted an open forum in November 2006 (see a recap of the meeting, the agenda, a press release, selected presenters' slides, and a summary of participants' feedback) to launch the three-year regional initiative, which covers Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. With 166 attendees, that event represented a critical first step toward creating a new Regional Water Supply Planning Group (RWSPG), which will be charged with making recommendations on water resource policies and plans.

Our region's economy and well-being depend on the availability of water.  Lake Michigan is one of the world's largest fresh-water resources, but population forecasts indicate parts of the region may suffer water deficits in coming years. The RWSPG for northeastern Illinois will focus on the 11-county area's deep bedrock aquifer and the Fox River Basin's shallow bedrock aquifer. (An aquifer is a body of geologic material that can supply useful quantities of groundwater to natural springs and water wells.)

Click here for a list of planning group members, who were picked in January 2007 by caucuses that represented each of the following stakeholder groups:

1. Municipalities and Municipal Water Suppliers
2. Counties
3. Agriculture
4. Business, Industry, and Power
5. Conservation and Resource Management
6. Environmental Advocacy
7. Academia and Public Interest in Regional Planning
8. Real Estate and Development
9. Wastewater Treatment and Non-municipal Water Suppliers

In addition to coordinating the RWSPG, CMAP will develop water-demand forecasts for the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and work with the RWSPG to craft a plan that includes implementation strategies. The ISWS will match water-demand forecasts with data on water supply to develop water-availability scenarios projected to the year 2050. Other partners in the regional effort include county planning departments, the Metropolitan Planning Council, and the Openlands Project.

CMAP and the RWSPG will submit the resulting water-supply plan to the State of Illinois for approval. The northeastern Illinois effort is one of two initial pilot studies commissioned by the State of Illinois. The other is being carried out by the Mahomet Aquifer Consortium in east-central Illinois. Over the next three years, the State of Illinois is expected to define a comprehensive program for state and regional water-supply planning, including development of standards for regional plans and guidance for regional planning processes. 

For more information, contact Tim Loftus of CMAP at 312-386-8666.

2008-2009 Meeting Schedule 

Meetings are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of each month. End times for meetings scheduled for meetings are tentative and subject to extension as agendas are finalized.

*Special Meeting: Water Demand Report

Other Water Related Projects

Please check out our publication, Guidance for Developing watershed Action Plans in Illinois.

- RWSPG Meeting Materials
- CMAP Regional Water Supply Study 
- CMAP RWSPG Membership 
- SWS Planning (SWS Meeting Presentations)
- CMAP Committees 

RWSPG e-Newsletter    

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