While the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) free rain barrel program ended in 2016, MWRDGC continues to provide barrels at cost to district residents. According to MWRDGC, if all rain barrels distributed and sold through December 31, 2017 were properly used throughout year, the volume of rainwater that was prevented from entering the sewer system in 2017 would be nearly 500 million gallons. MWRDGC also developed and distributed a rain barrel brochure at all of their community outreach events.
Space to Grow is an innovative public-private partnership with a mission of transforming Chicago schoolyards into vibrant green spaces. Prior to renovations, many of the schoolyards were little more than asphalt parking lots. In contrast, the new schoolyards typically feature multi-purpose courts on permeable asphalt, turf fields, outdoor classrooms, rain gardens, and vegetable gardens. Each schoolyard has the capacity to capture hundreds of thousands of gallons of rainwater that otherwise would have drained into local sewers.
The Space to Grow pilot included four sites, which collectively have a design retention capacity of 731,004 gallons per rain event. These projects have positively impacted thousands of local residents by providing a safe place for their children to play, providing much needed relief from localized flooding, and educating residents on the benefits of green infrastructure. Given the success of the pilot, the MWRDGC Board of Commissioners authorized expanding the program to fund green infrastructure at up to thirty more schools. This project began in 2015 and runs through 2022, with a total investment by MWRDGC of approximately $16 million.
The program is co-managed by the Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands with capital funding, leadership, and expertise from MWRDGC, Chicago Public Schools, and the City of Chicago Department of Water Management. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago also provides technical support for green infrastructure elements to ensure that the new schoolyards provide optimal stormwater capture benefits.
