How DuPage County might clean up streams

Tough questions preceded what will be tough decisions for members of DuPage County's stormwater committee on how to clean up local streams and rivers.

Committee members Tuesday delayed voting on a plan that recommends either pollution-control measures for new developments or that fees be paid in order to meet provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act.

The act aims to stop contaminants such as road salt, fertilizer or gasoline from entering waterways as stormwater runoff.

A county report recommends that new house developments or homeowners building significant additions be asked to make improvements such as bioswales, areas that hold water with native plants, which help absorb impurities.

In lieu of improvements, the report suggests fees of $3,000 an acre or $750 a quarter-acre.

Small, new multifamily or commercial developments would be subject to the same requirements with fees at $15,000 an acre. New roads also would be subject to a fee.

Major developments would be required to provide on-site treatment of water runoff without the fee option.

"The ultimate goal is to clean up the waters in DuPage," stormwater permitting manager Clayton Heffter said.

Stormwater director Tony Charlton added, "This is the easiest, cheapest way to do it."

Elected officials peppered engineering staff with questions and comments.

"This is unreasonable," Elmhurst Mayor Tom Marcucci said. He contended the policy unfairly singles out new development.

Stormwater committee chairman Jim Zay countered that the county had little choice.

"This is an unfunded mandate from the federal government," he said.

County board member Paul Fichtner called the proposed fees somewhat high and asked for an explanation of how the numbers were reached.

"To what extent do we have fee-in-lieu flexibility?" he asked.

The committee is expected to take up the issue in November.

"Any time new fees are proposed, it deserves a lot of discussion," board member Brien Sheahan said.

Fees collected could be used by municipalities for pollution-control projects or they could opt to let the county do the work.

That raised other concerns for Naperville Councilman Doug Krause, who asked, "Who is responsible for reviewing the plans? Will each municipality have to hire additional help?"

Beside bioswales, other means of treating polluted water includes strips of land with native vegetation strategically located near streams or oil grid separators, a type of filter that could be installed in a storm sewer.

County engineers said studies show much of the pollution in stormwater comes from residential areas.