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The crazy thing about this article is that it presents Chicago's solution (make the combined sewer bigger), then solutions that are being tried in other cities

The crazy thing about this article is that it presents Chicago's solution (make the combined sewer bigger), then solutions that are being tried in other cities (increase permeability), and then completely ignores the entirely successful solution that's been used by Grand Rapids (and soon Lansing) on the other side of the lake: Separate the storm and wastewater sewers. Grand Rapids used to regularly have sewer overflows into the local river (not flooding, though - there was enough capacity to actually get the crap and water into the river). Over the last few decades, a separate storm sewer has been built, and this water can be treated more quickly. The storm sewer skims off things like oil, etc. and then returns the rainwater to the river and lake. No impact on the shit sewer. No shit and piss in the river, no shit and piss in the lake. It works, and it's what should be done in other cities that have this problem (and maybe a little bit of permeability on the side).

deleted 8y ago
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LoneWolf123 8y ago
In Chicago, storm sewers would definitely contain human waste.
bigpicture 8y ago
> The crazy thing about this article is that it presents Chicago's solution (make the combined sewer bigger) Except that Chicago's publicly stated position is that the Deep Tunnel system is not the solution. This is not a new thing, either. It's been that way for more than 2 decades. For more than 10 years, they've had a stormwater management building ordinance and (with few exceptions) any project (new construction or renovation) that changes the amount of stormwater exiting a piece of property is subject to it. It limits the flow rate of stormwater leaving, the volume of stormwater leaving, and the amount of sediment that can leave a piece of property. It is entirely math-based, with published formulas and coefficients and makes determining compliance straightforward, objective and fast. They've received international recognition for their incremental approach to stormwater management, which recognizes that the vast majority of property in the city is private property built long ago. As for public property, whenever the city rebuilds an alleyway, it is done with permeable pavement and is disconnected from the sewer. Whenever the city rebuilds a road, it is disconnected from the sewer to the extent that surrounding private property allows. Last year an entire block of a road near me was rebuilt and the side that was adjacent to a railroad embankment was built with swales every 50 feet or so to manage stormwater. It was actually visually attractive as well.

deleted 8y ago

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LoneWolf123 8y ago

In Chicago, storm sewers would definitely contain human waste.

bigpicture 8y ago

> The crazy thing about this article is that it presents Chicago's solution (make the combined sewer bigger) Except that Chicago's publicly stated position is that the Deep Tunnel system is not the solution. This is not a new thing, either. It's been that way for more than 2 decades. For more than 10 years, they've had a stormwater management building ordinance and (with few exceptions) any project (new construction or renovation) that changes the amount of stormwater exiting a piece of property is subject to it. It limits the flow rate of stormwater leaving, the volume of stormwater leaving, and the amount of sediment that can leave a piece of property. It is entirely math-based, with published formulas and coefficients and makes determining compliance straightforward, objective and fast. They've received international recognition for their incremental approach to stormwater management, which recognizes that the vast majority of property in the city is private property built long ago. As for public property, whenever the city rebuilds an alleyway, it is done with permeable pavement and is disconnected from the sewer. Whenever the city rebuilds a road, it is disconnected from the sewer to the extent that surrounding private property allows. Last year an entire block of a road near me was rebuilt and the side that was adjacent to a railroad embankment was built with swales every 50 feet or so to manage stormwater. It was actually visually attractive as well.