On June 5th the program, Water: Too Little, Too Much sponsored by the RPC had a record attendance with standing room only. Without doubt water is a significant element of the quality of life and our property values in Riverwoods. Recognizing the impact of last year’s drought, this year’s heavy rainstorms and the choice many residents continue to face between well and municipal water, the RPC put together a panel of noted experts to discuss water related issues and answer questions. The panelists were: • Josh Ellis: Program Director, Chicago area Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC). Josh directs MPC’s initiatives in the fields of stormwater mitigation, water supply management and heads MPC research projects such as "Before the Wells Run Dry". • Mike Warner: Executive Director with the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (lakecountyil.gov/stormwater). Mike’s work includes Lake County surface water project management, planning, engineering, construction, regulations and natural resource conservation. • Jim Patchett: Founder and President of Conservation Design Forum, Inc. located in Elmhurst, IL. Jim is recognized as one of the nation’s leading pioneers in the design of sustainable site planning methodologies that integrate innovative water resource management and ecological restoration measures. • Pat Glenn: Riverwoods Village Engineer. The informative intensive presentations by each panelist prompted a lively round of questions from both residents and Village officials in the audience. In addition, Jim Patchett provided a number of different publications covering stormwater management and related government programs to promote resident awareness. Some of the key “take-aways” were: - Keeping any stormwater ditches and culverts clear of debris and obstructions is essential for our community. Individual homeowners who do this can have a very positive impact on their property and that of their neighbors. - Capturing rainwater and using plants to filter out impurities both recharges the aquifer and improves local water quality. The Village has demonstration rain gardens located at the Police Station, Village Hall and soon at the Woodland Reforestation area to illustrate some approaches to this. The actions of individual homeowners can have a real impact here and it is also possible to put together a Village wide sustainability effort. - Revising Illinois’ plumbing code, to allow for, among other things, re-use of non-potable water such as rain and gray water will create new options for property owners and Riverwoods to use water more efficiently. - There are significant economies of scale when converting from well water to municipal water. Copies of the presentations have been uploaded.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 15:06:13 +0000