City officials unveiling underground stormwater storage units to reduce flooding on West Side

Chicago leaders will unveil new equipment that they hope can prevent flooding on the city's West Side.

Officials from the Water Reclamation District, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson, will address two underground storage tanks recently installed on Linder Avenue and Le Moyne Street in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. 

The project is part of a $12 million investment to strengthen flood protection and stormwater infrastructure.

This comes after record rainfall overwhelmed aging sewer systems in August 2023. Water had no place to go but inside people's homes. This past July 4th weekend, one to two months' worth of rain fell. 

The operations manager of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says the system of tunnels and tanks, meant to keep stormwater from rushing into streets and basements, is almost at capacity.

The new tanks will be able to handle almost 1.7 million extra gallons of water.

The unveiling will take place at 9:30 a.m.