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How the DuPage County Stormwater Management Department Harnessed a Former Quarry to Control Flooding
T
he Chicagoland-area DuPage County Stormwater Management Department has an unusual flood-control tool in its arsenal: a converted quarry. The Elmhurst Quarry flood control facility was completed in 1996 and has a total capacity of 2.7 billion gallons. In this interview, Director Sarah Hunn and Deputy Director Chris Vonnahme speak with Municipal Water Leader about how the facility works and about the challenges of controlling storm water. Municipal Water Leader: Please tell our readers about your backgrounds and how you came to be in your current positions.
An aerial image of the quarry, looking east, during a large rain event in May 2020.
Sarah Hunn: I graduated from Michigan Technological University with a civil engineering degree. Upon graduation, I started working for the Illinois Department of Transportation in the water resources group. I then moved on to the DuPage County Stormwater Management Department, where I started as a senior civil engineer and worked my way up to my current position as director. Chris Vonnahme: I am the deputy director of the department. I earned a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As part of that program, I specialized in soil and water. After graduation, I was hired as a civil engineer with the DuPage County Stormwater Management Department. I have worked with the county for over 31 years and am currently the deputy director for the department.
A view of the Elmhurst Quarry facility while empty.
24 | MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER | January 2022
Chris Vonnahme: Our department was formed following a major flood event in August 1987. The State of Illinois passed legislation shortly after that event to allow the five collar counties surrounding Chicago to start their own storm water management programs. Our storm water management committee was tasked with addressing the severe flooding, specifically in the more urbanized Salt Creek watershed. We developed an ordinance that set minimum countywide standards for storm water management to ensure that new development would not adversely affect floodplains, floodways, or wetlands within the county. Our engineers and wetland specialists also began developing watershed plans to address the severe flooding and water quality impairments within the county.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF DUPAGE COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.
Floodwater is diverted from Salt Creek through a moveable sluice gate to be funneled into the quarry.
Municipal Water Leader: Would you tell us about the department’s history and mission?
