After nearly two inches of rain fell across the Chicago metro area during Monday night’s storms, rain water was released into Lake Michigan to relieve storm sewer systems.
The gates on the Chicago River Controlling Works downtown were opened at 12:58 a.m. and closed at 7:10 a.m., according to a statement from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
The gates at Wilmette were opened at 11:23 p.m. and closed at 5:50 a.m., according to MWRD.
An average of 1.83 inches fell across Cook County, according to the statement, though some areas recorded much more, including nearly 4 inches in Highland Park, according to the National Weather Service.
When area waterway levels are higher than the level of Lake Michigan, the MWRD opens control structures to move water out of the system and into the lake.
The amount of water released into the lake will be estimated over the next few weeks, according to the statement.
The agency encourages the public to minimize use of water in their homes to reduce the amount of water flowing into the sewer system.
