water fountain

Population growth and industrial development, particularly in Chicago’s collar counties, has led to increasing groundwater withdrawals in the region. In some areas, groundwater is being withdrawn at a rate that exceeds the recharge rate, resulting in decreasing yields, increasing pumping demands, increasing salinity and the search for alternative water sources, all of which increase the cost of providing water to people.

“During the development of the region’s comprehensive plan, ON TO 2050, it became clear that critical water information that communities need to make informed land use, transportation, and infrastructure investment decisions was missing,” said Margaret Schneemann, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) water resource economist.

It was missing until now—IISG and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning have developed critical water demand and rate data for northeastern Illinois. The two products, available on the CMAP Data Hub, include past water use and demand forecasts and water and sewer rate data for each community utility.

Learn more about these datasets and how communities can use them on the CMAP website.


Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

 

Writer: Irene Miles, 217.333.8055, miles@illinois.edu

Source: CMAP update Immerse Yourself in New Water Data

IISG Instagram

Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.
Science is Survival at C2E2 2026! Catch us at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (March 27–29) as we explore the underwater world of Subnautica through the lens of Great Lakes science.Stop by our booth to discover how Great Lakes food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics stack up against your favorite survival game!Learn more about the event at the link in bio.